Infinite Bound
by SeptemberGirl84
Summary: This is my homage to the best MCU villain and antihero ever, Loki. This is also based on a fan theory of Loki that has been floating around online. I hope that my attempt to flesh out the convoluted history of our favorite adopted Asgardian makes sense. First part will be Loki POV through the movies all the way up to Infinity War. After that, begins the story of Loki and Jane.
1. Disclaimer & Intro

_This is my homage to the best MCU villain and antihero ever, Loki. This is also based on a fan theory of Loki that has been floating around online. I hope that my attempt to flesh out the convoluted history of our favorite adopted Asgardian makes sense. First part will be Loki POV through the movies all the way up to Infinity War. After that, begins the story of Loki and Jane. Be warned, it's a SLOW BURN. As always, this is just for fun and not for profit._****

**Intro  
**  
Where to start? Hmmm, let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard of a soulmate? Right, of course you have. All of you weak humans search your whole life for this elusive gift, and most of you never find your other half. What if I were to tell you that such a thing actually exists? It's the most sacred and searched after thing in the whole of the multiverse. Yes, multiverse, but that is for another time.

Soulmate. Soulpair. Soultwin. Soulbond. It goes by many names across the realities in which we exist, but it is all the same thing. When a soul is born, the Norns decree, in rare cases, that the other half of that soul is to be born as well. The people who house the two halves of this incomplete soul, once reaching an age to fully understand their heart, will begin to feel the pull of their other half. Many times, the souls are weak, and the bond never matures. Other times, the bond is extraordinarily strong, and can be felt across space and time. This is one of those times.

This is the story of I, Loki - Child of Jotunheim, Son of Asgard, Pawn of Odin, Slave of Thanos, Harbinger of Ragnarok, Lord of Lies and King of Mischief, and my other half, Jane Foster of Midgard. Yes, a human and a god. In the end though, who is more human and who is more god like? Our story is a long and convoluted one, but in the end, we find what our souls craved all eternity for. Each other.


	2. Chapter 1 - Finding the Spark

**Chapter 1 - Finding the Spark**

Loki sat on the balcony of his rooms, sharp green eyes taking in the turning of the seasons. Asgard was usually a place full of warmth and sunshine, but for a small portion of the year, the temperature would turn cooler and winter would set in, blanketing the golden kingdom in snow and ice. Nearly every Asgardian hated the winter season, but not Loki. The dark haired prince loved the crispness in the air and the quiet of the cloudless nights. Often times, his mother Frigga or the eternal watchman Heimdall would find Loki in the Observatory that worked in conjunction with the Bifrost, the gateway between worlds. He was enamoured with the stars, entranced by their beauty and intrigued by their mystery. This day though, there was something amiss with the young prince.

Just barely out of boyhood, the young man, who could be considered around 13 years old by Midgardian measure, knew there was something more out there. It was as if he could hear something calling to him, pulling at him. Something immaterial and light, more delicate than the gossamer wings of a sunkissed butterfly. There was an echo of something hollow in his heart, reaching deeper and touching the very core of his being. It disturbed him greatly and sent him in search of Frigga.

"Something troubles you my son." The regal queen reached out a hand to her youngest son, the child of her heart. She sat in her solar, weaving a great tapestry, threads of gold and green, red and blue being spun together in a picture that still only resided in the mind of the Queen. Loki, feeling calmer in the presence of the gentle woman, sat next to her, soaking up the peace that radiated off her.

"I feel as if there is something calling for me." Loki's voice was smooth, but his words were confused. "There is something reaching out to me from the stars. It frightens me and excites me at the same time."

Frigga was the only person that Loki ever confided in. His brother and father were more war minded, Asgardian through and through. Even though the Queen was full blooded Asgardian, there were attributes to her that spoke volumes to her upbringing. She was calm and level headed, well learned and versed in the policies and practicalities of the other nine realms. She was still a warrior, just like them all. She had even served as a Valkyrie before marrying Odin and becoming Queen of the Realm Eternal.

"I knew you would be coming to me, Loki, I just did not know when."

"You Saw me?" Loki knew his mother was also gifted with the rare ability as a Seer. Someone who the Norns whispered their secrets to.

"I have Seen many things about you, my Little One." Frigga smiled at him, emotions sweet even though she knew of the dark path that he would eventually take. She had seen his savior though, and knew that it was her calling out to him.

"What you are feeling now is a gift, one very few of us ever get to experience."

"It doesn't feel like a gift." Her son grumbled, and she laughed softly. She reached out and smoothed his black hair back, committing his innocent face to memory to get her through the tough times ahead.

"I know, my Loki-love." Even as his mother spoke, part of Loki longed to be in the observatory, staring out into the depths of space. Trying to fill the hollowness inside him with starlight.

"So what is this? Is there a cure for what ails me?" Even this young, Loki was never one to be easily satisfied. He always wanted answers, always wanted to know how and why the world worked the way it did.

"You are one half of what we call a Soulbond. Your other half is calling to you."

"I thought that was a myth." Loki scoffed.

"You of all people should know that there is a grain of truth in everything ever spoken. Even lies have truths hidden within, if only we take the time to seek them out. After all, you are a Trickster and magic weaver."

Loki nodded and looked down at his hands, making his aura shimmer an emerald light with golden sparkles. He was unique out of everyone he knew. Most Asgardians never practiced pure magic, and even fewer were born with the ability to tap into the energy in the air around them to fuel their own powers. There were the healers and scholars, but the everyday Asgardians were normal people.

"What am I feeling then? Who is my other half, and why does she feel so far away?"

"What you are feeling is the other half of your soul waking up, seeking you out. As for why they feel far away, it could be any number of things. They are in another of the nine realms, or they may not have even been born yet." Frigga laid her needlework aside to look directly at Loki, and he knew that he needed to pay special attention.

"Whatever you do in your life Loki, you will know the minute you meet your other half. There will be no way for you to miss it. Everything will feel alive. Colors will seem sharper. You will feel a drive to be with this person. Don't squander it; what you have is a once in a lifetime bond that can never be replicated."

"What can I do to prepare for them?" Loki never liked having mysteries, and he sought every scrap of knowledge about a subject that was of interest to him. Even now, he had a huge personal library in his rooms full of rare tomes and scrolls. There were also many handwritten copies of one of a kind texts that he wrote.

"Learn your magic. Know yourself better than anyone else. Let your powers be instinctive. Gather your knowledge and become the best warrior and tactician you can. All of your skills will be needed by your partner."

Loki knew his mother was right, and he heeded her words. Little would he know just how right his Seer mother was. How she saw his rise, his fall, his redemption and his saving grace.


	3. Chapter 2 - Thor Movie

**Chapter 2 - Thor Movie**

Over the next several hundred years Loki kept his mother's words in the back of his mind, doing everything he could to become the very best at anything he set his mind to. Astronomy, sword fighting, strategy, diplomacy, magic. Each thing was another tool Loki used to prepare himself for the person he was hoping to find that would finally ease the ache inside his heart. However, as time passed, things slowly began to change. Loki, ever sharp minded, was growing less and less complacent with his older golden brother Thor.

Odin had made it clear that Thor, as the older brother, would be the next king of Asgard. Despite the fact that the brute would rather fight and bed wenches than he would to sit and listen to the diplomats and emissaries from the other realms. Thor was narrow minded and short sighted. If he were to be king, Loki knew that Asgard would become the laughingstock of the multiverse. Their place as the guardians of the Bifrost and as the Realm Eternal would be at stake. They were the only ones that were holding several dark forces at bay that wanted to destroy all that was good. Loki felt he would be better suited to be king instead of his brother, but Odin refused to listen.

He finally took his concerns to Frigga, to see what she had to say.

"You must know that there is a reason for everything that your father does." The Queen shook her head sadly. "I know you think you would be better suited to rule, but I also know that Thor would need you to be by his side, to help temper his foolish heart."

"That shouldn't be my role, Mother." Loki argues back. "That's the place of the Queen, not a Prince."

"Until the time that Thor chooses a bride, you are the next person he should look to." She replied gently. "You would be Vizir, second in command only to the King. Thor would be the mouthpiece and symbol of the throne, but you would be the mind behind the man. You would be making nearly all the choices in regards to how the Crown would rule."

"While that is true and acceptable, I don't think Thor is ready to be King. Not yet." Loki pressed. "Father needs to give him more time to grow, to learn how to handle his power and his temper."

"It is the way things are done, my son. No one is ready for the Kingship right away; they must learn how to stand on their own. Even if this means Thor having to struggle through difficulties in order to be sharpened into a better blade."

Loki gave up, knowing that Frigga would stand by Odin's decision. It was her place to bow to the will of the King, and dissention would spread if there was the slightest hint that the consort to the crown disagreed with any decision. Luckily, Loki wasn't bound to that archaic way of thinking. He knew that he needed to show Odin how hot tempered and short sighted Thor was. He knew just what to do.

Later that night, sitting in his personal library, he reached across space to send a message to one of Asgards adversaries. Jotunheim. The Frost King Laufey. Fuming at his own failure to turn the Queen's ear and countless attempts to get Thor to use his brains and not his hammer, Loki and Laufey made an accord. Loki would open one of the secret doorways of the universe, and a small squad of Frost Giants would come through to make a ruckus. What happened next was just as he planned.

Thor bested the Frost Giants, demanded retribution on Jotunheim from Odin, and then decided to break his father's word. Thor, Loki, the Warriors Three and Sif used the BiFrost to travel to the cold world, all of them knowing Heimdal would tell Odin the moment they left. What happened next was unexpected and life altering. Loki knew in that moment all his life had been a lie. The battle raged on between Laufey's men and the Asgardians, Loki using his magic to fight and deceive. He lifted his arm to plunge his blade into another Frost Giant, when one stepped into the space behind him, grabbing his arm.

"You're next to die, Asgardian." The breath of the creature was rancid, and Loki used all his strength to pull away.

The Jotun's hand glowed blue around his wrist, ice making the leather and steel protecting his skin shatter like glass. Loki knew he was in trouble. The cold powers of the Frost Giants was unstoppable, and in minutes would consume a person in deadly Frostbite. Yet, he didn't burn. Oddly enough his skin began turning the same color as the Jotun in front of him. Confused and angry Loki stabbed him, kicking him away.

The world around Loki stilled as he stared at his left hand and arm. Dark sapphire blue slowly faded back into his healthy light tan. Power was simmering in Loki, just below the surface, a new power that he had never experienced before. Sif's shout pulled Loki back to himself. They were running from a huge Frost Beast, and in a blink Loki teleported to join them. He fell in line behind them, wanting to make sure that no one noticed his frozen and broken armor. He needed to figure out what was going on before people began asking questions.

Odin came to their rescue, as Loki knew he would. Once back on Asgard, Odin decided to act on his punishment of Thor. Looking on in a mix of horror and satisfaction, Loki watched Odin strip Thor of his power, his armor and his hammer before blasting him out into the BiFrost to land where he would. Before Loki could question him about his reaction to the FrostBite, Odin turned and left.

Mind tumbling over countless thoughts, Loki let his feet wander, taking him wherever they wanted to. He had never heard of anyone reacting to the Jotun's powers the way he had. Everyone, no matter which of the Nine Realms they came from, would burn and freeze. Everyone, except a Jotun. Blinking Loki came to himself, to find himself in the Armory, standing in front of the Jotun's Winter Casket. In the peace treaty that Asgard had with Jotunheim, the source of the Frost Giant's powers was to remain on Asgard, and the Frost Giants would remain free on their planet.

Curious, Loki reached out his hand towards the artifact. Blue began at his fingertips, slowly creeping up his arm before disappearing under his clothes. Quickly he undid the top two buttons of his tunic, realizing both hands were now blue. Loki was shaking with shock and rage as he revealed his chest. It too, was blue. Blue with swirling lines stretching across his skin, marking him as a true Jotun. He, Loki of Asgard, was a Frost Giant. A monster. How could he have never know this?

"Loki?" Odin's voice shattered the silence, stilling the thoughts in his mind. Turning he watched as the Golden King of the Realm Eternal descended the steps toward him.

"What am I?!" Loki screamed, feeling a wave of coldness rush over him.

"You are my son." Odin began in a patronizing tone, infuriating Loki even more.

"No!" Loki swept his hand backwards at the Winter Casket as he stepped toward Odin. "No, I am not your son. What am I? Am I a Frost Giant? Am I one of the monsters that we scare our children with when they misbehave? Am I a spoil of war? What?"

As Loki spoke, Odin settled down on the steps of the Armory, a gray cast to his skin. Loki knew the signs of Odin Sleep, but he was too upset to really care. Odin was unable to muster a response other than a grunt as he passed into the magically induced coma. A coma that would take over his body and mind when he went too long without rest.

"Guards! Guards! To the Armory. Help the King to his Chambers!"

Mind still sifting through everything that he had discovered, Loki trailed the guards to the chambers of the king and queen. He watched with a detached manner as Odin was laid in his bed, a golden light surrounding him as he slept in his healing coma. Numbly Loki accepted Gungir from the current Vizir, acting as King while Odin sleeps. Suddenly though, his purpose became clear. He knew what he had to do.

Heimdal proved to not be a hindrance, Loki using the Winter Casket to freeze the Gatekeeper and Seer in his tracks with disinterest. Coldly Loki keyed in the coordinates of Jotunheim, and with a smirk of satisfaction, stepped through the portal and onto the icy world of his heritage.

"Back so soon, Asgardian?" a blue skinned guard asked as Loki strode up the steps of the dark ice palace.

"I have valuable information for Laufey." Loki spoke in modulated tones, masking the towering rage he felt burning in his heart. He hated the people of this world, and resented the fact that their blood sullied his veins. The king opened his eyes and leaned forward, detaching himself from his throne. His glowing blood red eyes were shrewd and watchful.

"Speak Odinson."

"Odin has fallen into Odin Sleep." Loki began to weave his lies. "He is completely vulnerable. I will open a door for you. You kill Odin, and I will return your Winter Casket."

"Why would a son of Odin want the All Father dead?" The Frost Giant king was known for his intelligence, and Loki was prepared.

"Thor has been banished to Midgard with no powers and Odin lay in Odin Sleep. This is your opportunity to avenge the wrongs Odin did to you and your people in the past. With Thor and Odin gone, I will become King of Asgard. As I have always meant to be."

"Hm." Laufey stood from his throne and stepped down to stand in front of Loki, towering a full head and shoulders over the dark prince. A grin split the giant's face, displaying sharp teeth.

"We have an accord Odinson. We will wait for the portal to open."

With a cold smirk Loki stepped back into the rainbow lights of the BiFrost, setting his plan into motion. Striding down the rainbow crystal of the BiFrost bridge, Loki flicked his fingers, magic spinning to open a portal in the golden domes of the BiFrost mechanism. Loki didn't know when Laufey and his men would come through, but he knew it was best that he not be close when they crossed the veils between worlds. Besides, there was something else he needed to do.

Appearing in the armory with a shimmer of green magic, Loki called forth the Golem, the protector of the Castle and Armory. It was a robotic creature in nature, fueled by both technology and magic. Loki decided to send the monster to Midgard, to dispatch of Thor for him. The creature would be able to crush his brother like a bug while Loki cleaned his slate with a vengeance. Darkness swirling in his head and heart, the dark prince strode to the chambers where his false father lie in Odin Sleep.

Frigga gave a shout as Loki opened the doors to the rooms, and he watched as Laufey shoved her into a wall, bashing her head against a golden shield. With his mother out cold, Loki felt a new sense of rage. Yes, while Odin lied to him about who and what he was, Frigga was his mother, and no one hurt his mother. Using Gungnir, Loki killed Laufey, disintegrating him in a blast of anger.

"You saved him." Frigga was quick to recover, hugging her son close.

"Yes. I don't know how Laufey found out about father, since his sleep is a highly guarded secret. I promise you though, the Frost Giants and Jotunheim will pay for what they have done."

"No, brother." Thor's voice boomed out, ruining the moment. Snarling Loki turned to face him.

"Why don't you tell her brother? How you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends? To kill me?"

"I was only following father's last wishes." Loki shrugged. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to destroy Jotunheim." Using Gungnir, Loki shoots Thor directly in the chest, sending him crashing through the walls of the palace. With a shimmer, the dark prince was gone, reappearing in the BiFrost control dome.

Knowing he only had a short time before Thor would try to stop him, Loki slid Gungnir, the staff of Asgard, and key to the BiFrost into place. The machine roared to life in a flash of light. Quickly Loki reached over and smashed the console, locking in the BiFrost beam. If locked onto a target too long, the machine's power will shred a planet and kill all life on it. Seemed fitting, since it was that planet and it's people that caused Loki to realize his life was a lie.

With a crush of force, Loki was thrown back from the BiFrost, Thor having sent his hammer after him, hoping to break the icy shield that was growing across the sphere. The power of the rainbow bridge was calcifying, the power becoming more and more unstable. The two brothers fought hard against one another. Loki had trickery, but Thor had brute strength. It was an evenly matched battle.

"You can't win Thor. Nothing will stop the BiFrost from ripping Jotunheim apart." Loki taunted, but something inside him began screaming at him. It was too distant to tell what it was, but it made a place in his chest burn. Thor looked up into the darkness of space and cried,

"Forgive me Jane!" Down slammed Mjolnir, cracking the crystal of the bridge. The screaming inside Loki grew more desperate.

"What are you doing?" Loki cried, racing over to his brother. "You destroy the bridge, and you'll never see her again. Your little human you found on Midgard, the one that made you all soft and weak."

"I don't care. I won't let you destroy innocent lives for your own personal vendetta." Down came the hammer again.

Helplessly Loki could only watch as one more swing shattered the bridge in a concussive blast, sending the trickster flying off the edge and into eternity. Scrabbling his hand found purchase on Gungnir. Looking up Loki saw that Thor had the scepter, and Odin was holding onto Thor.

"I could have done it, you know it." Loki shouted at Odin. "I was willing to do what you should have done so long ago. I would have rid the universe of their skurge."

Sadness clouded the All Father's face as he gently said,

"No, Loki."

In that moment, whatever affection he had left for the man he had called father died. He was nothing but a pawn, a relic to be used when it was convenient. Odin never loved him, never cared for him. The pain Loki felt increased a thousand fold as he opened his fingers, deciding that it would be better to be dead than feel the pain he was in now.

"No LOKI!" Thor shouted as Loki fell, watching the lie that had been his whole life fade away into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 3 - The Fall and The Trap

**Chapter 3 - The Fall and The Trap**

Silence. Darkness. Complete sensory deprivation. Honestly, Loki wasn't even sure if he was still alive. No, that wasn't true. He knew that he was still alive. The yearning that he had felt in his heart on and off since boyhood stirred in his chest. The sensation was tugging at him, making him wish that he was able to give heed and follow where it willed. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

After an eternity of falling, of passing galaxy after galaxy, world after world, Loki landed hard on his back. Opening his eyes, the trickster lay still, surveying the world around him. It was dark, but the area was illuminated by the light of the nearby clusters of stars and swirling gases of nebulas. Blackish purple rock is what he had landed on, but it all seemed broken, being held together by some sort of attraction. Gently, Loki took stock of his body, making sure nothing was broken. When he ascertained that he was whole, he slowly sat up, looking around. Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck rose.

Summoning a dagger he spun, blade finding purchase in the neck of a creature he had never seen before. Slow clapping made the black and green clad man turn, producing a sword for his other hand. A large titan sat atop a pile of stones, power radiating from him. Loki felt that he had seen this creature before, in his nightmares. To one side of him stood a woman with blue skin, cybernetic implants glimmering dully in the dim light. To his other side stood a woman with green skin and black flame hair, eyes sharp.

"Welcome Loki, child of Laufey and prince of Jotunheim, son of Odin, god of mischief and lies. I am Thanos, and I have need of someone with your particular talents and connections."

Thanos. That's why Loki thought the Titan looked familiar. He was known across the Universe as the Mad Titan. He wanted to control the power of life and death. There had been rumors that he had been seeking the Infinity Stones for some time now, but it had never been confirmed. Now though, Loki knew it to be true. It was only a matter of time. With the lifespan that Titans had, Thanos didn't have to worry about hurrying the process along. He knew he would have to tread carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't speak to Father that way." The blue skinned woman growled, taking a half step forward. The other woman didn't take her eyes of Loki for a moment.

"Easy Nebula, Loki is our guest. He's allowed such liberties, for now." Thanos did nothing to veil his threat. Mind furiously whirling, Loki was trying to figure a way out of the mess he had landed in.

"As you know, I have been searching the Universe for the Infinity Stones. While my daughters are resourceful, as well as my Black Order, I need someone with more finesse to gather the stone I have found now."

In front of Loki materialized a golden staff with a glowing blue orb nestled just below a deadly sharp and curved blade. Power emanated from the weapon, calling to Loki in almost a seductive manner. Still, that small hollow part of him resisted, the tug becoming more insistent with every passing moment. Taking a deep breath and calming his mind Loki looked up at the purple behemoth and spoke with his most silvered tongue,

"What if I refuse?"

Thanos raised his hand and suddenly Loki was engulfed in a black haze. Pain ripped through every part of his body, flames licking at his mind, searing hot and deadly. Deafening screams filled his ears as he saw everyone he ever cared about being eviscerated by Thanos' army. The illusion was extremely convincing, rounded out with touch and smell. Odin beheaded, Thor drawn and quartered, Sif's hair plucked from her head one strand at a time before being raped and murdered, the Warriors Three executed swiftly. Loki's stomach turned and it took everything he had not to throw up at the sight of such horrors. It was Frigga though, that sent Loki over the edge. Ebony Maw, a minion of extreme intellect and deviousness, was pulling her Seer abilities from her head and storing them in containers. With each vision pulled from her, a piece of skin was stripped from her body, leaving her raw and bleeding, helpless to stop the torture. Finally, after all her powers had been taken from her, Frigga was disemboweled and then beheaded, preventing the Queen from being healed and restored.

"Enough!" Loki shouted, rage boiling over. Power sizzled just under his skin, burning cold and bright.

Too late he realized that it had been the plan all along. Ebony Maw was swift in latching onto Loki's weakness. He had left himself wide open to manipulation and perversion. Thanos and his Black Order exploited all the negative emotions inside Loki, using his own darkness against himself. Evil fed evil and hate fueled hate. Every little thing in Loki that had anything to do with his inherent trickery and lies was magnified a million fold. Loki was warped and twisted into a slave, a puppet with just enough free will to do his job and enjoy it. Time didn't matter as they worked to perfect the weapon that was Loki. Days and years could have passed as Loki was broken over and over again, being put back together only to be ripped apart the next second.

"Do you understand now, Loki?" Thanos asked smoothly. "Thor is not responsible for your failure; the humans of Earth, or Midgard are the ones who stole your crown. They are the ones who robbed you of your victory."

"Yes." There was hardly anything left of the real Loki, buried under manipulation and darkness. He was a child of Thanos now. "Midgard must be ruled with an iron fist. All who get in my way will be eliminated."

"In return for Midgard, you will bring me the Tesseract. It is the key to everything."

"Yes, Lord Thanos."

The next time Loki was able to think clearly, he was in some sort of underground bunker. All around him humans scurried about, working on something. Cautiously he looked about himself, able to vaguely recall what he had said and done under the thrall of Thanos. Everything he had done flipped through his mind like a picture book. He looked at it in an almost detached manner, knowing that he should feel something for the things that he was responsible for. Honestly, he couldn't even bring himself to care. Ebony Maw must have felt his true mind stirring, because in that moment the world around him disappeared, only to be replaced by a vision on Thanos and his minions. In particular the Chitauri priest known as the Other.

"The Chitauri grow restless." The cage faced monster growled at Loki, circling the magician like a vulture. Loki cocked an eyebrow and refused to let the little pimple shake him.

"Let them goad themselves." The green and gold clad man scoffed, secure in his power and knowledge of who he was. For the moment. "I will lead them in a glorious battle."

It was the Other's turn, as well as Thanos' minions to scoff.

"Battle?" The foul breath of the Other washed over Loki, and it took all his willpower to not flinch. "Against the meager might of Earth?"

Loki didn't turn as the alien creature continued to circle him, staring at the back of Thanos' floating chair.

"Glorious, not lengthy." Goaded Loki, silver tongue whipping, words as sharp as ever. "If your force is as formidable as you claim."

That for the Other's attention. The alien snapped around, shoving his clawed hand in Loki's face, snarl in his voice.

"You question us? You question him? He who put the scepter into your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose? When you were cast out, defeated?"

"I was a King! The rightful king of Asgard." Even as he said it, it felt like rote to Loki. It was something that was to be said as a default to cover true thoughts and emotions.

"Your ambition is little, full of childish need." The other spat at him, contempt in his voice. "We look beyond the Earth to greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil."

Without blinking an eye Loki shot back,

"You don't have the Tesseract yet." He knew it would infuriate the Other, and he wasn't wrong. The creature lunged at him, stopping short when Loki held out the staff, pointy end pressing into the Other's chest. He tsked.

"I don't threaten." He lowered the staff, point made. "Until I open the doors, your force is mine to command. You are but words."

"You will have your war, Asgardian." Power began to thrum in the Other's voice, finally hinting that he was more than a mouthpiece for Thanos. "If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he cannot find you."

The Other raised his hand, shooting power at Loki, forcing his body into a locked position. Loki's magic was bound, only able to be used in the service of Thanos, or to repel harm. The Other was neither, so Loki was powerless. It was a feeling that he was beginning to despise. He knew he needed a way out, but he wasn't sure how.

"You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as mere pain."

Forcefully Loki was jolted back into his own body, feeling sweat pouring down his back underneath his clothing and armor. Again, the other force was in control of his body and movements, similar to a marionette. Loki was aware, but not able to push forward and take control of the situation. It was almost as if he had dual personalities inside him. One, twisted by Thanos and in the mad Titan's thrall; the other, the real Loki, one who was prone to enjoy mischief and chaos, but not outright slaughter. Everything continued in a blur as Loki faded in and out of awareness, until he came to again, realizing he stood before a crowd of Midgardians kneeling on a street.

"You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." Memory came back to Loki, and as he tried to process what he had done in the thrall of Thanos, he watched as a grey haired older man stood in the back of the crowd. He stood as tall as he could, chin up, chest proud. Loki was impressed, this ant had courage in his blood.

"I will never kneel, not to men like you."

Loki scoffed, laughing.

"There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you." The old man had a hardness to his gaze, and Loki knew that the man had seen true horror, but under the spell Thanos had over him, Loki couldn't be bothered to care.

As Loki prepared to strike, a man in blue, white and red landed in front of the old survivor, deflecting Loki's energy bean right back at him. Loki knew who he was, Barton had filled him in, Loki aware enough to retain the information. Apparently this man was as close to being immortal as humans came; having been experimented on over 70 years prior to this day. Loki knew that physically, the man, this Captain America might actually be able to hold his own against the Asgardian Frost Giant. It was only when the man in Iron appeared that Loki decided it was time to surrender, for now.


	5. Chapter 4 - Avengers-Capture&AncientOne

**Chapter 4 - Avengers - Capture and the Ancient One**

Loki let himself be apprehended by the rag tag band of so called heroes, but once in the air he started getting apprehensive. Lightning flickered and crashed all around the aircraft, and Loki knew that his older brother would be arriving any moment. Before he could blink, there was a hole ripped into the roof of the aircraft and Loki was plucked from the seat he currently resided in. The landing was rough, but having been Thor's ragdoll for centuries prepared Loki for how to handle the landing.

"Where is the Tesseract?" Thor demanded, voice rumbling and lightning skittering across his armor.

"Oh-ho. I missed you too."

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?"

Loki sat up properly, doing his best to look regal and unruffled by the rough treatment of his brother. Time to poke the bear. This was pure Loki; he always enjoyed goading his brother.

"You should be thanking me brother. With the BiFrost gone, how much dark energy did the All-Father conjure to send you here? Your precious Earth."

"I thought you dead." Thor replied, not knowing how to react to Loki's barb.

"Did you mourn?" Loki couldn't help but ask, still needing to know that his false family cared for him in some way. It was like a barb that had gotten under his skin; no matter how much he clawed at the pain, it would always be there, the need to be wanted.

"We all did. Father -"

"Your father. He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" The words stung, but the poison was a little less bitter this time around.

"We are family. We were raised together, fought together? Does that mean nothing to you?"

"All I remember is being in a shadow, the shade of your greatness. I remember you letting me fall into the Abyss. I should be King, not you and not that oaf Odin."

"While you claim that I was not ready to rule, and you were correct, it seems that ruling would ill suit you brother." Thor shook his head, Hammer lax at his side. "Give up the Tesseract, give up the vengeful walk you are on. Come home."

"I don't have it with me." Loki shrugged his shoulders, hands still bound in paltry human metal. He needed to remain shackled for the ruse to work. "You need the Cube to take me home, but I have given it to my minions, and I am unaware of their location."

Thor raises his hammer to inflict damage when a red and gold blur knocks him away. Amused, Loki moves to sit on the edge of the cliff, wanting to see how the Man of Iron would do against the God of Thunder. As he watched, he made mental notes on how the earthlings worked. The information would be invaluable once the rest of the plan was in motion. Thor's lightning only seemed to feed the iron suit, but the suit was vulnerable to brute Asgardian strength. The only one to even come to a draw was the man with the shield. When Thor's hammer hit the metal, a gigantic wave of power washed over the entire area, knocking Loki onto his back. He came to just in time to see a redheaded woman and a man in a black suit reach down to help him to his feet.

"Time to go Loki." The woman briefly glanced at the three men below. "Looks like the show is over anyways."

The helicarrier was an impressive bit of technology, for Midgardians. The rest of the Universe was hundreds of light years beyond their technology. It was laughable really. Loki was simply acting, playing his part in the grand plan. If he wanted he could vanish without a trace, or destroy the ship and everyone on it with a flick of a wrist. He was led into a round glass cage. Now this was what he had been looking for, the exact bait that he needed to splinter this newly formed team of rouge individuals.

"In case it's unclear," began Nick Fury, whom Loki remembered from his first moments on Midgard, taking the Tesseract right out from under his nose. "If you so much as scratch that glass …"

The one eyed man pressed a button on the console beside him. The floor underneath the cell opened, showing the tops of the clouds they were currently flying over. Wind howled, but Fury could still be heard without even raising his voice. Loki sensed that there was something more to the man he was facing. He had the same aura around him as Captain America and the one called Black Widow did. The carriage of someone who has seen and done more than they are willing to admit.

"Thirty thousand foot drop in a steel trap," the button is pressed again and the floor closes. He gestures to Loki,

"Ant." then he waves to the console,

"Boot."

Loki was loath to admit it was a fairly good attempt to intimidate and threaten him. It almost worked, except that Loki knew this cage wasn't for him. Oh, no. It was for the real monster on the ship, the green one. Still though, Loki knew that this was the exact chance he had been looking for. This was the loophole to break Thanos' hold over him as well as escape with his life while avoiding handing the Tesseract over to the mad Titan.

"This cage isn't meant for me; but one of you." Loki began, careful on how he chose his words. His life and the lives of everyone depended on this stall, this move on the cosmic chessboard. A few more words were exchanged with Fury before Loki dropped his clue regarding how to stop all the madness.

"It burns you to have come so close, doesn't it?" Loki sneered, praying his plan would work. "To have the limitless power of the Tesseract at your fingertips, and for what? To be a warm light for all mankind to share? Then, when you are so close, you are reminded what real power is."

After his little speech Loki sat, waiting. He knew what was being discussed in another part of the airship. Smirking a little he leaned back against the glass, waiting for the next move. In the quiet, Loki reached out with his senses, trying to see how much of Thanos' thrall was wearing off. Loki was surprised to find that there was very little of the magic from Thanos binding him at the moment. It must be a side effect of the cell he sat in. He took this opportunity to send his mental self along the Astral Plane, to see if he could gather any information regarding his situation.

In his non corporeal form, Loki was invisible to all. Even the great Heimdal was unable to see Loki when he astral projected. Only those that can walk as he does would be able to sense him. In this day and age, not very many people do. However, on this world, there were several. One of them was extremely close and extremely powerful. Loki approached from behind, seeing an individual in a yellow robe with their hands held behind them. The figure stood on the rooftop of a building in the city below, gazing out over the buildings.

"Greetings Loki." The figure turned to reveal a woman on indeterminable age, but whose eyes had far more depth to them than he had ever seen before.

"How do you know my name?" Loki approached the woman, apprehensive. The woman smiled a smile with surprising warmth. When she spoke, power and eternity echoed in her voice.

"I make my business to know who comes and goes from my world with mystical power. You, Loki, are the most powerful that I have ever felt. I waited here, knowing you would seek out answers. I will answer what I can."

Loki stared at the woman for several long moments, reaching out with his magic to probe hers, but all he came up with was his magic reflected back at him. The woman smiled again, face unlined.

"I said you were the most powerful I ever felt. Not that you were the most powerful on the planet."

"Impossible. No one can cloak their magic from me."

"Thanos did." The woman stopped smiling, face becoming intense. "That was how he was able to snatch you from the void. He hid himself from your sight, and in turn, he uses you to threaten all reality."

"How?" Loki was truly flabbergasted that this Midgardian was able to open him up and read him like a book. It made him feel naked and vulnerable. It was a feeling that he didn't like.

"I am the Ancient One, and you have nothing to fear from me." The name resonated in Loki's bones. The Ancient One was a myth, pure fantasy. They were one of the most powerful beings in the Universe. Even more powerful than Thanos.

"Do you -"

"No Loki, you still have a part to play in this story. I cannot remove the thrall over you at this time. Without you, the Universe will cease to exist. You are vital to saving us all." The Ancient One spoke gently, but with finality.

Loki stood quiet, green eyes surveying the landscape of buildings in front of him. Something about this world felt familiar, like a memory from a dream. The hollowness inside him came back forcefully, causing him to gasp in pain.

"Yes, she is here." The Ancient One reached out and touched his shoulder, helping him stand upright. "Your Soulbond resides here on Earth. She is just one of the reasons why you must let things happen as they will, until it is time to change your stars. Only then can you be complete with your other half."

The Astral Plane began to waver, and Loki knew he was being pulled back into his own body. The Ancient One continued to speak,

"You are needed to fulfill the story set out before us all so long ago. Take heart though in knowing that you will have your happy ending. There will be much sorrow, many trials and pain before you can reach that day though. Stay true to who you are and you will reach the end of your story victorious."


	6. Chapter 5 - Avengers - The Inevitable

**Chapter 5 - Avengers - The Inevitable**

Blinking back into reality Loki found himself standing in the middle of his glass cage, the other persona that resided in him having taken over when he had gone on sabbatical. He only prayed that once he was free of Thanos that he would be able to banish the dark side of him permanently. He watches in a detached manner as Natasha aka Black Widow spoke to his other half, goading him into giving up his plan. Loki wondered how the Thanos puppet had managed to slip up, but it was just the opportunity needed to finally get out of his prison.

It was time for his jail break, Barton and his other mind slaves coming to free him and inflict maximum damage. The goal was to get Banner to Hulk out and rip the airship apart while Loki made his get away. It was Thanos' plan, not his own, so there was no way to alter it. Loki only hoped that the ones who captured him had listened to his clues. It wasn't far now and time was running short. He still had time for one more trick up his sleeve for his brother though.

As Loki predicted, Thor came barreling into the containment cell, smashing right through his illusion, cracking his head against the far wall of the glass cell. Nonchalantly Loki closes the door, locking the cell tight even as he asks his brother,

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?"

As Thor glowers at him, Loki, still bitter from the events on Asgard, moves to the console, flipping up the protective cover of the eject button Fury had threatened him with.

"The humans think us immortal. Shall we test that theory?" A high pitched whine suddenly filled the air, causing Loki to turn. It was the human that helped Black Widow get him down from the cliffs. In his hands was a large weapon with glowing lights, similar of those the Destroyer used in New Mexico a year ago.

"Move away please." Loki, knowing the human will try and shoot him anyways projects a hologram as he switches to invisibility, lining up to run the man through. Coldly Loki pierces his chest before moving to the console and dropping Thor through the floor of the airship.

"You're going to lose." The agent manages to say, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and oozing out of the wound in his chest, still clutching the Phase Two gun prototype.

"Am I?" Loki could only pray that he would, to be released of his obligation.

"Yes, because you lack conviction." The agent pulled the trigger even as life left his eyes, sending Loki back with a painful blast very similar to what the Destroyer had produced. Once again, Loki lost his hold and was swallowed up by the power Thanos had over his mind. Loki hated it when he lost his grip on reality and was forced under. Every moment since finding out who and what he was he regretted every decision he's made. Now, he was a puppet doing things he had no control over. In the end, he knew he'd answer for what he did, and he was ready to accept that fate. Not that he'd make it easy, but he wasn't going to deny that he did what he did.

The next time Loki comes back to himself he's standing on the Stark Tower, about 10 floors below the roof. Above him the portal device hummed, opening the doorway from this world to the dark on where the Chitauri waited. Alien vessel after alien vessel poured through the dimensional gate, wreaking havoc on the world below. Loki wondered what it was that brought him to, when he hears Thor's voice right beside his head.

"LOKI. Turn off the Tesseract or I'll destroy it!"

"You can't." Loki spoke as if in a trance. "There is no stopping it. There is only war."

The two brothers grapple and fight as the battle rages on around them. They are both evenly matched, having fought each other countless times over the centuries. It's close hand to hand combat, so Thor has to abandon use of his hammer, and Loki ends up dropping the staff. As usual though, in the end, Thor bests his brother. With Loki pinned below him, Thor demands,

"Look around you! Do you think this will end with your rule!?"

"It's too late. It's too late to stop it." The real Loki gasps out, managing to break through the magic binding him for just a moment.

Then the evil one takes over and stabs Thor in the side, the trickster slipping free. He jumps away onto one of the aliens speeding by, gleefully shooting lasers and attacking anything that moved. He catches one of the arrows that a freed Barton shoots at him, thinking it was a normal arrow. It wasn't. The damn thing blew up in his face, sending him crashing back down to the landing pad on Stark Tower. Not even two seconds later, the Hulk lands beside him, and throws him through the windows, glass shattering and embedding itself into the soft places his leather and armor didn't protect.

"Enough!" Loki shouts, jumping to his feet. "You are all beneath me. I am a God you dull creature, and I will not -"

The Hulk, true to his nature, grabbed Loki by the foot, and with all the strength that atomic and gamma radiation gave him, slammed Loki into the concrete floor. Several times debris went flying as Loki's body gouged holes in the floor. After one final blow Hulk lets go, and Loki just lay there, body wracked with pain.

"Puny God." Hulk mutters, walking away.

Loki doesn't move, barely daring to breathe. He's free! Thanos' hold on him was destroyed. For the first time in longer than he could remember, his thoughts were all his own. The sickening darkness inside him was gone, leaving him feeling hollow and empty. It was a good feeling though, and he remembered what the Ancient One had told him.

Time passed in a blur after that, Loki lost in his thoughts, sending feelers of his magic out, trying to find his mate. He knew she was here and alive, he just didn't know where. He leaves a few residual doppels of himself on Midgard, subtle hints of his magic to try and hunt her down. Thor slaps a muzzle over his mouth after one too many jabs at his brother and those around him. As he is being led away to a site where he and his brother can safely use the Tesseract, he feels a ripple. Someone or something is trying to alter the timeline around him. Curious he looks up, eyes scanning for a threat.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a duplicate Captain America approach, and Loki knew that the battle with Thanos was far from over. Loki was so busy looking around for the Black Order, that he missed seeing the case holding the Tesseract fall to the ground. This time, the timeline remains in tact. Next time though, will be a different story.

In the shadows of the stairwell, a cloaked Loki turns and walks away, knowing that the time to act was yet to come.


	7. Chapter 6 - ComingHomeConsequencesDarkWo

**Chapter 6 - Coming Home, Consequences and Thor: The Dark World**

Loki Blinked furiously against the blinding light of the BiFrost. Somehow, during his enslavement, Asgard managed to rebuild the ancient gateway device. Time either passed amazingly fast while he was lost, or the scholars managed to find a way to recreate the technology at a surprising speed. Wary and still bound, Loki stepped up onto the transport waiting for them. Silently it lifted off and zoomed toward the golden palace before him.

Familiar buildings passed, blurring. Loki paid little mind. He was working to rebuild his inner defenses, soaking in the power of his adopted homeland. It came to him quickly, refreshing and replenishing him completely. Unfortunately, his brother and father were wiser than they had been in the past. The shackles that Thor carried with him to Midgard were magic binding, making Loki unable to use his magic externally. He could use it internally to heal damage, but that was it. Even the muzzle he wore restricted him from mouthing words, to keep him from spinning weaves that could influence the mind.

Loki, suffering the indignity of being led bound through his own home, followed his golden haired false brother through the shimmering gold hallways to the throne room. Odin, in his pompousness, sat on the throne, one good eye glaring at the trickster. The guard to his left removed the muzzle as Frigga stepped in from a side door, standing back as Odin delivered his judgement. Working his jaw, he studied his adoptive mother. She stood stock still, her hands nervously picking at each other. Her wise blue eyes were troubled, but still looked upon him with love.

"Hello Mother. Have you missed me?" It sounded scathing, but in truth, he wanted to know if she had missed him during his time gone. There was a brief flicker of a smile before it disappeared, just quick enough for Loki to notice before the facade of the Queen fell back into place.

"Please, don't make this worse."

"Define worse." None of them could imagine the worse that he had been through. Even the moments where he hadn't been wracked with pain and agony were far worse than anything Odin could do to him. Loki had seen real madness and pure evil, and he was glad to be free. Even if that meant having to suffer through endless years having to serve whatever punishment his false father decided to decree.

"Enough!" Odin shouted. "I will speak to the prisoner alone."

What followed next were scripted words and responses from both parties, even when Odin was hurling insults. Telling him that his birthright was to die on the wasteland of a planet he had been born on. That the only thing that followed in his wake was war and death. Many of the words were predictable, things spoken of before, until,

"Frigga is the only reason you are still alive, and you will never see her again. You will spend the rest of your life in the dungeons."

Nothing could keep Frigga from her son, even if Odin was too blind to see. They shared a bond that was forged by magic and love, one that the Allfather would never sever. Loki pushed his emotions down and inquired,

"What of Thor? You'll make that witless oaf king while I rot in chains." There, keeping up the charade of cool and unaffected. Just the exterior that Loki wanted to show the world.

Mask in place, Loki let himself be led to the depths of the castle. The accommodations were luxurious enough, but the cage he resided in opened to clear golden tinted force fields on three sides. Luckily, once his shackles were off, Loki had a modicum of his powers returned. He couldn't teleport, or use his magic to break free, but he did have his illusions. They would provide him with enough privacy.

As the crown prince, Loki was afforded several luxuries that the other prisoners were not. His personal library was at his disposal. Several pieces of furniture from his room as well. His food was better than the gruel given to the others. His cell was also larger, giving him more room to pace. All of these things helped ease the sting of imprisonment, but it was the weekly visits from Frigga's astral form that made the time pass. However, one afternoon, he let his temper slip, and with a sigh, he pushed the one woman who loved him from the beginning away.

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed into his chest. It was like a flaming sword had run him through. Instinctively, he swirled an illusion to hide his discomfort from the inmates and guards. In agony, his knees buckled, sending him crashing to the floor. Even when being tortured, Loki had never felt pain like this. His mind was hazy with pain and he struggled to breathe. It felt like his very soul was being pulled out and ripped to shreds. A red haze covered his vision, turning his world scarlet. He checked himself for injury, but there was none.

Using his magic, he forced himself to follow the source of his pain, shocked to feel himself being pulled from his body. He saw glimpses of space flowing around him, similar to the BiFrost, but not as illuminated. Next were a series of shifting shadows and aching cold, a portal of some kind. Slowly a red glow filled his vision, coming from a moving and pulsing substance, something a cross between smoke and water. His vision shifted, being filled with a pair of large brown eyes that slowly shifted to red, and then bled into black.

With a jolt he was back in his own body, laying on the floor of his cell, the red haze slowly fading from his vision. It was then, body aching from pain that Loki realized the impossible had happened. His Soulbond mate had been taken over by the Aether. How she had managed to find the power that the AllFather had locked away millennium ago was difficult to say. Loki feared that he knew the answer. The Convergence.

It was a cosmic phenomenon that happened once an epoch. It was a time where borders between worlds blurred. Portals would open and you could simply step from one realm to another unaided by the BiFrost. However, once the alignment passes, the portals close, not to open again in the lifetime of anyone alive. Only the Celestials of the Universe were to have been said to remember the time before the last Convergence.

Closing his eyes and reaching out again, Loki was unable to hold back a small smile. His other half would soon be on Asgard, and he would finally know her face and name.


	8. Chapter 7 - DarkWorld - Meeting&Escape

**Chapter 7 - Dark World - The Meeting and Escape**

Loki, still trapped in his cell, was unable to gauge how much time had passed since he felt his other half be taken by an ancient and deadly power. While contemplating this, noise outside pulls him from his reverie. Dispassionately, he stands and moves to the force field of his cage. A Kurse monster, a Dark Elf enforcer had pierced the shield of his cell and was in the process of breaking others out of their cells as well. Watching in cool curiosity, Loki saw the monster stop and stare at him before turning to move on.

"You might want to take the stairway to the left." Loki deadpanned, knowing it would lead the monster and prisoners upstairs. Maybe Thor would thin the lot of them all, making the dungeons less crowded. Sitting on the floor next to the field, Loki conjured a book, and sat down to enjoy the fighting. All too soon the Warriors Three joined the mele, routing the fight quickly. It was a minor amusement for Loki, who continued to read on.

Hours later, Loki learned that his advice to the monster ushered in the death of the only person he had ever truly loved. Full of rage and self hate, Loki lashed out with his magic. Nothing survived the ransacking of his cell, not even his clothes. Fire raged behind a pristine illusion, sorching the walls, incerating everything. Loki burned, but due to his Frost Giant heritage and innate magic, as soon as he burned, he was whole. Once the cell was destroyed, Loki would right everything, only to destroy it all again. Over and over this happened, for hours, or days, he could not tell. Only when he ran out of hate and anger did he stop his destruction. The damage was done however. His cell was in shambles; food and bits of broken furniture everywhere. A cold hollowness filled him, blotting out all other feelings.

An indeterminable amount of time passes before Loki hears movement outside his cell. Acting on instinct he weaves a spell, showing the world the illusion of a put together Loki in a pristine cage, affecting the attitude of a man who has no cares in the world other than to wait out his sentence. From behind the magic, Loki watched Thor approach, dressed for travel. He wore dark colors and had a dark traveling cloak thrown over it all. Interesting.

"After all this time you now come to visit. Why?" The illusion sneered, hands behind his back. "Have you come to gloat? To mock?"

"Enough Loki." Thor's voice was weary and his tone was flat. "No more illusions."

With a sigh, the magician released his weave. With a shimmer of green and gold, the spell faded, revealing a disheveled Loki and a ransacked cell. Thor's eyes flickered with emotion before settling back into a cool, stony blue.

"Now you see me brother."

There was a moment of silence as the two brothers stared at each other, both knowing they were thinking of Frigga, and mourning her loss in their own way. Soon though, the moment passed.

"I know you seek vengeance for what happened at the hands of Malekith and the dark elves as much as I do." Thor spoke flatly, dispassionately. "You help me escape Asgard, and I will grant it to you. Afterward, I will provide you freedom from your cell."

Well, well, well. This was certainly different. Before him was a Thor that was asking for his help, knowing full well who and what he was. In the past, his brother knew this, but back then he was more gullible. He saw the boy he grew up with, not the trickster that was before him now. It was an interesting development.

"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?"

"I don't." Thor replied baldly. "Mother did though, and even though we have fought each other in the past, I did see the glimmer of hope that my brother is still in there. Now though, that hope will no longer protect you. You betray me, and I will kill you where you stand."

Loki merely raised an eyebrow. He could tell that Thor was deadly serious, having heard that tone in the past. Whatever was going on had affected his brother in a way that he hadn't ever seen before. In the past, there was always a teasing jest in his tone, but now there was only promise.

"When do we start?" Loki couldn't resist a challenge and was looking forward to getting out of his cell, even if for a short time. It might just be long enough for him to engineer his escape. As Thor moved to release the energy field caging him, Loki swept his hand, cleaning his cell and tidying himself. Once out, Loki couldn't resist baiting his brother, but eventually had to stop because Thor shoved him up against a pillar.

"You could at least furnish me with a weapon." Loki ground out past the big hand clamped around his throat. Not that he needed Thor to supply one, he could simply pull weapons from his personal dimensional pocket that he had woven with his magic ages ago. No one but Frigga knew about it, after all, she was the one that taught him how to do it. The sound of metal clanged, and his magic was quickly dampened. Looking down he saw golden cuffs around his wrist, connected by a chain. He looked back up and saw a slight smirk on Thor's face.

"I thought you liked tricks." His brother taunted before turning and shoving him forward. Together they made their way to one of the side entrances of the castle, seeing Hogun and Volstagg waiting. The sounds of feet made the trickster turn, and everything crashed to a stop.

HER. Finally, after all these millenia, Loki was finally going to look upon the face of the women that housed the other half of his soul. The one person who kept him bound to sanity and goodness in the darkest of nightmares that Thanos has wrought. Hardly able to breathe and mind frozen as cold as Jotunheim he watched as if in slow motion a female figure rounded the corner down the corridor from he and Thor.

She was shorter than he imagined. Loki knew he was tall thanks to his true parentage, but seeing how slight of build and short in stature the woman approaching him was, he was taken aback. She wore an Asguardian dress of sky blue, the dress having been altered to fit her frame, locks of rich brown flowing past her shoulders and down her back. Her skin was pale, but warm, kissed by health. She looked no worse for wear from the Aether being inside her. Loki knew though, that soon she would begin to deteriorate. They needed to get the malpresence out of her soon, or it would consume her. Amber brown eyes flashed and suddenly Loki felt a sting on his left cheek as his head snapped sideways.

"That was for New York."

Loki chuckled, ignoring the indignity of being struck my a Midgardian mortal. He would let her slide, after all, they were two parts of the same whole. Even if she didn't know it yet. He smirked, speaking to Thor but gazing at the woman,

"I like her."

"Jane was luckily not in New York when you attacked." Thor spoke offhandedly, turning to speak to Sif. Loki though had all his attention on Jane. So, she was the mortal responsible for reforming his brutish brother when Odin sent him away? Interesting. The Norns had a sense of humor in making the woman Thor held in high regard as the one person who could save Loki from himself. The trickster in him relished the thought of taking Thor's woman from him. Even so, she never was and never would be his brothers; not in any life or reality.

At first they escaped in one of the Dark Elves ships, but halfway through they switched to a small Asgardian scout skiff. It was smaller and faster than the strike force ships that Asgard used to follow them. Loki, being the only one who knew where the secret doorways were, was tasked with steering the ship. His eyes scanned for the magical aura of the dimensional gaps, grinning slightly when one opened up in the face of a rock cliff nearby. Pushing the throttle, he raced for the chasm. Thor was shouting at him to stop, but watching Jane drop heavily to the padding below her made Loki desperate. He needed to get the Aether out of her, now.

The crash that Thor was anticipating never came, the ship slicing into the shadows of the cliff effortlessly. Silence fell over them as they flew through the cracks of space and time. It was smoother than taking the Tesseract, but it was darker and colder. If you didn't know where you were going, you could be lost in the darkness forever. This is was the realm of Thanos, and it chilled Loki to the bone to have to traverse the dimension again. In the end though, it was worth it to save Jane's life.


	9. Chapter8 - DarkWorld - VictoryDefeatLies

**Chapter 8 - Dark World - Victory, Defeat and Lies**

Svartalfheim was indeed dark. The soil was charred black due to ancient volcanic activity, the sky a dark murky green. Before entering the portal Loki had cloaked all three of them in a protective spell, allowing the to breathe on both the journey through the void and on the deadly planet. Sulfuric acid as well as other noxious chemicals swirled in the air, and without Loki's magic, they would have been dead on the first breath. The Dark Elves thrived on the horror that was the Dark Planet, the cursed world their ancestral home.

"All right." Thor twirled his hammer as the three of them looked across a flat plain at the gathered dark elves, one of their battleships hovering in the air behind them. He reached over and released the manacles from around Loki's wrists. "Are you ready to do this?"

They had worked out a plan while they were waiting on Sif to deliver Jane, but Loki had a hidden addendum that he added, one that no one would ever know about until long after the fact.

"You know this plan of yours is going to get us killed." Loki muttered, playing along with what his golden brother wanted to do. He was biding his time until the opportune moment.

"Yes, possibly." Thor answered as the two of them left Jane kneeling on the hill behind them. Loki could feel her watching them, but he didn't know how much of what was going on that she was actually able to comprehend. The Aether was growing stronger now that it was home, back on the world that it called its own. The power fed off the darkness of the land, and the longer it stayed in Jane, the faster she was overwhelmed by its power.

Together the brothers acted out the play that they had concocted, using the duplicity to trick Malekith. They thought Thor was injured, Loki having cut off his right hand. They believed that Loki has switched sides, offering Jane to the mercy of the dark elves. The two watched as the darkness was pulled from Jane, her amber red black eyes returning to their normal bright brown. Once Malekith released his hold on Jane, the brothers acted. Loki, knowing he was no match for Kurse, decided to defend Jane while Thor fought the monster. No one saw the extra green shimmer that quickly split off from Loki and disappeared into the darkness as the brothers fought.

Somehow Kurse got past Thor and was coming for Jane. Loki, no thought for his own safety, knowing he would surrender to the dark if she died, decided to act. Quickly he materialized behind the demon, using an extra dark elf sword to run the creature through. What he didn't count on was Kurse grabbing him and impaling him with the shaft of the blade sticking out of his own chest. The demon was determined to take Loki with him into death. The trickster wasn't done though; he had pulled the pin on a black hole grenade before stabbing the demon. The device was pinned to the demon's back, not able to be removed except for pulling the blade out of his body.

The dark elves called retreat even as Thor and Jane rushed to Loki's side. Coldness spread from the wound in Loki's chest, not unlike the coldness of having his true heritage revealed to him. Thor threw aside his hammer and gathered his brother close, tears pooling in his eyes. Across from him Jane stood, silent tears streaming down her face. It hurt Loki to see her cry, but it needed to be done.

"You fool." The golden brother sobbed, the dark brother in his arms beginning to shiver from the bone deep coldness enveloping him.

"I'm a fool." Loki's eyes flickered to Jane. "I'm sorry."

"I'll tell father what you did here today." Thor offered, and Loki nearly scoffed, but his breath was coming short. Gasping he managed to get out,

"I didn't do it for him."

Darkness filled his vision, and the world went silent. He heard his brother and Jane speaking before opening his eyes and watching them trudge away. They both looked worn and defeated, but Loki knew what he was doing was for the best. He watched with solemn eyes as the two of them flew away before turning to look where they had been crouching moments before.

There, on the ground, skin shades lighter than it used to be, lay Loki. Well, a version of himself anyways. The body on the ground was indeed Loki, but not the true Loki. While in the void before attacking Midgard, Loki had been taught ancient magic by Ebony Maw. Magic that had long been forgotten or deemed too archaic to practice. Using the knowledge that he had gained, Loki was able to create a physical manifestation of himself. The duplicate was as real as he was, but with limited magic and time to live. It took a lot of his magical energies to conjure a clone, which is why he now had to reabsorb the magic housed in the shell before him.

Waving a hand Loki took his magic back into himself before glamoring himself as a royal guard and teleporting back to Asgard. There was still much to be done. It was time for him to lay claim to what was rightfully his. Part of him screamed to go to Jane, to protect her with everything he had, but he couldn't. He still had a bounty on his head, and many things were still left to come to play before he could finally be with his other half. So Loki would wait, biding his time and keeping watch over Jane from where he hid in plain sight.

Back on Asgard, Loki in guise of a guard, made his way to the ruins of the throne room. As he stepped into the once pristine golden hall, he saw Odin standing at a window on the opposite side of the room. At first, Loki thought that the AllFather didn't sense his presence, but as Loki approached, the older man turned. His good eye was weary and worn, face shadowed with lines deeper than the prince remembered. The older man watched him approach, resignation on his features.

"Hello Loki." Odin spoke once his youngest son had reached him. Loki let the glamour fall, revealing himself.

"You knew."

"I have known since the moment you made your doppelganger on Svartalfheim." The AllFather sighed wearily and settled into the padded seat in the alcove of the window. Loki remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I knew what you were planning once Thor released you from your cell. I may not have the gift of Foresight like Frigga, but I do know you Loki. I knew that the only way for you to survive would be to lie to your brother, and then come here to hide."

"I will not be hiding, old man; I will be ruling." Loki sneered, covering his surprise that Odin could read him so easily.

"Yes, as me."

"How -?" Loki was thrown for a loop. How did the old goat know what he had planned? No one knew. Even he didn't know for sure himself until the dark world.

"Your mother." Odin sighed and looked at his youngest son. "She pulled me aside the night before she passed, telling me what I must do to keep you alive. To keep us all alive. The future depends on you and your cleverness."

"What did Frigga see?" Loki ground out, a chill racing down his spine.

"I cannot say more than I already have, or it will change the path that the future must take." Typical.

"However, I have recorded what I was told in a tome, hidden with a spell until the time is right for you to know. This will ensure that the future remains intact, but that you have the keys to stop the destruction of the Universe."

"That's maddeningly vague." Loki grumbled and rolled his eyes when Odin muttered with a shrug,

"That's your mother for you."

"Did she also say what I am to do with you, old man?" Loki inquired, not sure what to do now that Odin knew of his plans.

"I am going to retire to Midgard for a while, until the time is right for me to return to The Realm Eternal." The king sighed and stood up, waving his hand before him. Gone was the AllFather and in his place stood a man, black eye patch over his damaged eye. "Now, transport us to Earth, and I will show you where I will be staying."

It was a quick trip to the mortal realm, and then Loki was back in Asgard. This time he wore the face of Odin and carried his staff, Gungnir. He commanded what troops were left to begin the process of cleaning and rebuilding from the Dark Elves attack. Several days into the new king's rule, Thor came to see his father.

"All the realms saw you risk your life to save them. What can Asgard offer you in return for their gratitude?" Loki watched as his brother contemplated the request, mind calculating all the possible outcomes.

"My life." Thor finally replied. "I cannot be king of Asgard. I am a warrior, and with every breath I have I will protect and defend my home, but I cannot do so from that chair."

Loki listened with growing admiration for his false brother, realizing that the boy was finally growing into a man.

"Loki, for all his faults, knew the truth about ruling that I never did until now. I would rather be a good man than a great king."

"Is this my son I hear, or the woman he loves?" Loki knew Odin would ask such a question, never having made it a secret that he thought Jane was beneath Asgardians on every level. Good thing Loki wasn't Asgardian.

"When you speak, I hear echoes of Mother's voice. She shared her knowledge with you, and together you both ruled. You are king, but she was your strength and reason. Jane knows not of what I speak to you. This is my choice alone."

"One son who wanted the throne too much, another who will not take it. Is this to be my legacy? Will the royal house of Asgard end with me?"

"Loki died with honor. I shall try to do the same."

"I cannot give you my blessing, nor wish you good fortune. All I can say is that you must do what you feel is right."

Thor bowed and strode away from the false king, never seeing the slight smirk on Odin's face.


	10. Chapter 9 - The Time Between & Hela

**Chapter 9 - The Time Between & Hela**

It would be another five years before the brothers would meet face to face. During those years, Loki did not sit idle, nor did he squander the role of King. In actuality, he ruled well. He was kind and just, a bit more forgiving and tolerant than the real Odin would have been. Asgard rebuilt, growing bigger and more grandiose than before. As a tribute to his late son's death, Odin had a statue commissioned of Loki, as well as a holiday to commemorate his sacrifice. Trade and commerce with the other worlds flourished. There was food to be had and plenty of material wealth. Loki made sure to take all the strides in baby steps, otherwise there could be rumors that the king wasn't really the king.

It took three and a half years for Asgard to get back on its feet, and the for the economy to recover the losses of the impromptu war that took place on the Realm Eternal. Many of the other realms, while sending supplies, took a cautious approach when it came to political relations at first. They feared that there were still Dark Elves that had survived and would want to harm anyone who helped the ones who killed their leader. In the end, however, it was discovered that this time around, the dark race had indeed been wiped from existence. After that, things improved far beyond anything Loki could have imagined.

While ruling as Odin, the Trickster was able to foster peace and growth. Many called it a Resurgence, a revitalization of a culture and people that had grown stale over the centuries. New Aseir were being born after countless decades of barrenness; children beginning to fill the golden streets once again. The Aseir age slowly, so many of the 'children' that Jane has seen were really around a century old. They looked like children and acted like children, but they had been alive far longer than any human could reach.

In all of this, Loki took pride, but in the back of his mind, his thoughts were elsewhere. Alone in the Royal Chambers, his real visage would emerge. He would spend hours at a time sitting in a chair tucked into an alcove near the bed, staring into the softly glowing surface of a viewing mirror. Images from across the stars shimmered before him, helping ease the ache in his heart. Every night he would watch Jane, seeing how she was dealing with the time between their first meeting and the next time they would see each other. Loki knew that it was only after Thanos was defeated that he would be able to reveal himself to Jane, to share with her the truth of who and what they were.

Loki saw how, after the invasion of New York, the scientific community began to slowly accept Jane's theories about space travel. Having the moral backing of both Tony Stark and Bruce Banner helped her cause as well. Her mind was brilliant; light years beyond anything that her world had produced, with the exception of the two aforementioned men. She was able to comprehend complex truths of the Universe that only the most meticulous of minds could understand. Her status among her peers improved with each passing year, despite the efforts of Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.

Loki now knew why the Norns had bound them together. Jane's mind and thirst for knowledge matched his own, her ambition similar to his in many ways. They were two pieces of a whole, and it was something that he desperately craved. He could feel the time for them to finally joining their lives coming closer and closer. Thanos was building his armies in the shadows, preparing for war. Loki knew of his plans to purge the Universe of half its life, to balance out the needs to equal the supply.

Upon Thor's return to Asgard, Loki knew that his ruse was up, and time was running out.

"Hello Father." Thor towered over where Loki sat as Odin in a padded chair. Loki could tell by the look in his brother's eyes that he knew the truth.

"I've traveled the stars looking for the source of the unease I feel, and do you want to know what I found? The Nine Realms blissfully calm and unaware that Asgards enemies are assembling. They are growing in the darkness, plotting our demise, while you sit idly by in your bathrobe."

"Yes. Well, it is best to respect our neighbors wishes for peace."

"You're really going to make me do it?" Thor sighed with a growl, looking for all the world like a harried lion.

"Do what?" Loki feared he knew the answer. It was a game they had played often as children. His suspicions were confirmed when Thor threw his hammer into the distance, grabbing Loki as Odin by the back of the neck, pulling him around in front of him.

"You know that nothing will stop Mjolnir as it returns to my hand, not even your face."

Loki was forced to yield, or have his nose shattered by his brothers hammer.

"Where's Odin?" Thor growled again.

"You couldn't just stay away, could you?" Loki knew it was rhetorical; Thor would always come back to his home. It was his nature, just as trickery was his. After some physical threatening by his brother, Loki decided to take him to where he had left Odin. The sight that greeted them was a building in New York being demolished.

"I swear I left him right here." Loki crossed his arms, perturbed at the fact that Odin was in the wind, or dead.

"Right here on the sidewalk, or right there where the building is being demolished?" Thor quipped.

"How was I supposed to know? I can't see into the future; I'm not a witch."

"No? Then why do you dress like one?"

Loki suppressed a smile with an eye roll. He would admit, only to himself that it was humorous that he was dressed in all black claiming to not be a witch. Then two women came up, fawning over Thor, bemoaning the fact that Jane dumped him.

"It was a mutual dumping!"

Actually, no. Loki had watched it unfold years before. Jane had decided that she needed to live her life for herself. She needed to have her mind focused on the task at hand, and the stars above. Seeking the shadow of a god among the starlight was more than she was willing to handle. One evening, before leaving New Mexico behind, she had called to Heimdall, asking him to send a message to Thor. She needed to see him. A few hours later, the god of thunder roared down in the barren land outside her research facility.

There were no tears on Jane's part, only firm resolve. Thor, surprisingly, grudgingly accepted the dissolvement of their on again, off again affair. He understood that his new mission didn't leave time for him to travel back to Midgard, but that didn't mean that he had to like it. Jane had instigated the break up, and Thor went along with it only for the sake of keeping their friendship in tact.

Gold light crackled and sputtered around Loki's feet on the pavement, making him look down in surprise.

"What's this?" Thor demanded. "What are you doing?"

"It's not me!" Loki desperately probed at the phenomenon with his own magic, but he was being blocked. Quicker than he could blink, the ground underneath him disappeared, and he was sucked down into darkness. For a breathless moment, Loki feared that Thanos had found him, but the magic around him was warm, not cold. The sensation was similar to how he fell off the Rainbow Bridge, but instead of smothering darkness, there was a dark golden glow around him. Then, just as quickly as he disappeared, he reappeared, laing flat of his stomach on a hardwood floor.

In another instant, he and Thor stood on a grassy cliff overlooking a gray and choppy sea. Odin sat with his back to them, looking out over the dark water and lighter colored sky.

"Father?" Thor asked as they approached the man. Loki was on high alert, senses sharp, feeling a strange electricity in the air.

"Look at this place; it's beautiful."

"Father, it's us." Thor tried again as he and Loki stepped up on either side of the man.

"Yes, my sons. I have been waiting for you."

Loki stared at the man beside him, mind spinning. Even after all this time, Odin still referred to him as his son. The small boy deep inside the hard man wept with joy that his father still loved him even as the man fortified the walls around his heart. Part of him wondered how the world would have been shaped if he hadn't let go and fallen into the void. Would Frigga still be alive? Would he be happy? He doubted it, since it wasn't in his nature to be content.

Loki listened in disbelief as Odin explained to them that there was a child born before Thor, Hela. She was firstborn, and the goddess of death, the harbinger of destruction. Since she was the eldest, her powers were the strongest, and tied the closest to Asgard. Odin had imprisoned her three thousand years ago, but now, as his life force was fading, so was the magic that was binding her.

"We can face her together." Thor was desperate, not wanting to face the reality that the AllFather was leaving them.

"No, we won't." Odin sighed, still gazing out to sea. "I am on a different path now, and your mother is calling for me. You must face this alone. Remember that I love you my sons."

Even as Odin evaporated into a fine golden dust that spread upon the breeze, Loki could feel a darkness building, pulsing behind him. It was the sister that they never knew they had. Together, they turned and watched as a tall, slim woman in black stepped through a greenish black portal, right from the bowels of the realm that was her namesake. Instinctively Loki donned his battle leathers, swords appearing in his hands. Beside him lightning cracked, Thor hurling his hammer at the dark woman.

Loki watched in astonishment as Hela stopped the hammer with one hand. He didn't think there was a force in the Universe that could stop the dwarf star hammer. Then, to his horror, Hela smirked, fingers flexing, black nails glinting in the light. Like glass, Mjolnir shattered. It was then that Loki knew that they were no match for their sister.

"Bring us back!" Loki hollered to the heavens, commanding Skurge to open the BiFrost. It proved to be a mistake. Hela was well versed in travelling the rainbow magic. With one quick blow, she sent him tumbling out of the magic and into the coldness of space. For a second time in his long life, Loki fell through space and time. This time he prayed he would land somewhere far more hospitable than Thanos' domain.


	11. Chapter 10 - Sakkar & Ragnarok

**Chapter 10 - Sakkar & Ragnarok**

Again, Loki had difficulty in measuring the time it took for him to finally land on a planet. This time though, there was no darkness, but light, and lots of it. He had landed in a trash pit, looking up at a gigantic wormhole. Thanks to his knowledge of the realms, he knew where he had landed this time. Sakkar. The world of the lost and abandoned. Somehow, he had been sucked into the main wormhole that led to the planet. The wormhole referred to as the 'Devil's Anus'. Knowing that his arrival wasn't unnoticed, Loki quickly cloaked himself in magic and escaped the garbage district.

"You!" a burly guard halted him just outside the bounds of the trash pit, silver colored staff in his hand. Loki stopped, not having anywhere to hide.

"The Grandmaster wants to see you." The guard held his hand out to the side and the crowd parted. "He saw you fall from the sky and wants to know what your business is here."

Loki had no choice but to follow the guard, not having time to think of an escape plan. Once at the palace, Loki knew that he had to put all his negotiation skills to the test. The Grandmaster, while appearing to be indulgent and lazy, was actually incredibly sharp minded and ruthless.

"Loki Odinson." The Grandmaster effused once they were face to face. The extravagant man opened his arms and gave Loki an air kiss and genteel hug before stepping back, smile on his face. "What do I owe the pleasure of your visit to my humble planet?"

"Unfortunately, you are only partially correct, Grandmaster. I am no Odinson, but the son of the late Laufey, king of Jotunheim."

"Really?" The Grandmaster looked like a giddy schoolboy. "Another scandal perpetuated by the AllFather? I thought he had learned from Hela to not keep secrets."

"You know of Hela?" Loki inquired, eager to know more. The Grandmaster rubbed his hands and indicated for Loki to sit on a nearby sette.

"I do." The other man settled down with a flourish, eager for gossip. "As one of the Elders, I've been around long enough to see and do just about everything there is. For ages Hela had been growing in ambition, and finally Odin had enough. There was a mighty battle in Asgard, and it nearly destroyed the realm before Odin was able to seal your adoptive sister away. Afterward, Odin covered any traces of her with the somewhat faulty narrative of the legacy he would leave his children."

"Seems like secrets were his favorite thing. That and ignoring me." Loki muttered, setting the stage for his sanctuary on Sakkar.

"Well, now that you are on my world, my boy, you will no longer be ignored." The Grandmaster clapped his hands. From a side entrance several scantily clad women entered, carrying food and drink. They placed the food on the low table before them, showcasing their physical wares as well. Loki played the part of an appreciative man, but he could sense that the other man was reading him just as closely as he was.

"If these are not to your taste, there are several others that could offer you their services."

"Thank you. However, I am more worn out from my journey than anything. I should be back to myself tomorrow." Loki deterred, and the other man nodded.

"Yes, yes." He waved a hand and one of the women bowed and held out a hand. "Alia will show you where you may sleep. If you need her services or any of the others, pull on the velvet rope in your quarters."

"Thank you Grandmaster." Loki nodded, moving to follow the woman. Behind him, the other man called,

"I look forward to many more conversations with you, Loki Laufeyson."

Once alone, Loki took a deep breath and centered himself. Reaching out with his senses, he searched for both Thor and Jane. Jane was safe on Midgard, just as she was the last time he looked in on her. As for Thor, Loki could sense that he was alive, but he couldn't get a reading on where he was. Loki decided to bide his time and take the refuge offered to him.

Several days later, he sat in the main gallery of the Grandmasters palace, conversing with the assembled guests. There was no specific occasion or event; it was simply the daily gathering place for all of the Grandmasters higher echelon subjects. He integrated himself into the palace well, having grown up with all the politics and intrigue involved. Despite his stature and appearance, he was able to blend into the diverse crowd.

"Hello Loki."

A slightly familiar voice cut through the din of the Grandmasters palace on Sakaar. Loki looked up, and before him was a woman who looked remarkably like a young version of his mother Frigga. Her hair was mahogany and her eyes were green, but other than that she could have been a replica of the late Queen of Asgard.

"Mother?"

"Yes, and no." The woman sat down next to him with a slight smile. "Remember when I told you Seers never really die? Our consciousness lives on, merely moving from incarnation to incarnation."

Loki nodded, still unnerved by this younger version of his mother. It was one of the great secrets of Seers, and was closely guarded. Due to their connection with the fabric of time, Seers could exist outside the constraints of life and death.

"Right, down to business. In this life, I don't have much time to tarry." The unnamed woman smiled, and it broke Loki's heart to know it wasn't really his mother. He missed her, her warmth, her wisdom and wit.

"Your end is near, but only in this timeline. Listen well, otherwise you will not have the sun shine on you again. Ragnarok is upon us. You will return to Asgard. When you do, you must find the tome Odin left you, it will explain what you need to do and how to survive what is to come. You must also secret the Tesseract away and give it to Thanos when he demands it."

"Thanos?" Loki felt a shiver of fear. Even though Loki knew it was a possibility that Thanos would enact his Endgame, he had prayed that it would never happen.

"Yes. War and Decimation are on the horizon. You will die, but if you do as I say, you will live again. You will even be able to join your Soulbond."

""The last time I saw her, she thought I had died." Loki sighed. "I've been preparing myself to see her again, but I fear that she won't be receptive to me."

"A necessary deception. Things need to happen in the order the Norns decreed before your destiny can reach its pre ordained end." The woman who was his mother yet not reached out and laid her hand over his.

"You will die at the hand of Thanos."

Numbness spread through the magician at her words and a ringing filled his ears. So, he was going to pay for the evil that he had wreaked while under the thrall of the mad titan. It was a fate that was a long time coming. He fell to the darkness and knew that it would take something drastic to restore his soul to the light.

"You will die, but it won't be your last day. In that moment, you will awaken in a different time and place. You will be given a chance to create a new life, a fresh start. Don't waste it."

With a slight nod, the woman stood and melted back into the crowd. Loki, still in shock, was contemplating his words when another voice called his name,

"Loki!"

Somehow Thor had also found his way to Sakaar. Loki sighed and tried to dissuade his brother from causing a scene. What ensued next were several days of insanity. Sakkar was like being on a bad acid trip. Thor and Hulk beat each other silly, and then the Hulk disappeared. The Loki was threatened to find his brother or be executed. He encountered a Valkyrie, and was promptly captured by the woman. Hulk reverted back to Banner, and he along with the woman and his brother schemed to get offworld. In the process to get a ship and go offworld, Loki was forced to do 'Get Help'. Basically, he was used as a battering ram to knock down guards. It was at that point that Thor finally saw through his tricks and illusions. Electricity ripped through his body, paralyzing him.

"That looks painful." Thor grinned at him, leaning over where Loki lay in agony on the floor. It was strange seeing his brother with shorn locks. "Dear brother, you've become predictable.

"I trust you, you betray me. Round and round in circles we go. See, life is about growth and change. You, however, want to stay the same."

Thor sighed and looked at Loki with sad eyes even as he enjoyed the pain he was inflicting.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can be more than just the God of Mischief and Lies. Loki, you have to grow up at some point, and when you do, you can change the Universe."

Loki watched as Thor strode away, using his magic to push the electricity flowing through his body back into the electrode, blowing it out and off. He made sure to muffle the sound, in case Thor heard. Once his brother was away and the Grandmaster was calling for their heads, Loki shimmered away in a flash. He returned to Asgard, and keeping himself cloaked in invisibility, searched for the tome in which Odin wrote down the instructions Loki was to follow in order for the Universe to survive. Luckily, it was hidden in Odin's personal library, and not the main library. This allowed Loki a modicum of safety, since Hela's revived soldiers didn't dare enter the AllFather's private quarters. Without reading what was inside Loki spirited the book away, returning to the hangar on Sakkar.

Quickly he opened the leather bound book and began to read.


	12. Chapter 11 - Ragnarok

**Chapter 11 - Ragnarok**

Loki stared down at the pages of parchment bound together by leather and magic, unable to believe what he had just read. The details of what was to come were scant, but the outline of the actions of him and others to follow were made clear as day. Frigga had given Loki the key to not only stopping Thanos permanently, but showed him how to move on past the events to come. She gave him a way to survive the war and to join his life to Jane in a way that would heal all the old wounds and darkness in his heart and mind.

"_Loki, once on the Dark World, will replicate himself with what he learned in the void. The duplicate will die in his place, ensuring that for the next five years, he will live in relative peace. He will return, and take your place Odin. He will guise himself as you and rule while you retire to Midgard to await the end. Upon you joining me in Valhalla, Hela will be released from her prison. She, with the unknowing aid of Thor, will bring about Ragnarok. THIS MUST HAPPEN otherwise all of our people will perish. I will speak to Loki on Sakkar, and tell him it is time for him to find this volume. Until I see you again, all my love, Frigga."_

Loki, even though these events were over and done, still could feel the warmth of Frigga's love and magic in her writing. After this though, the handwriting changed into that of Odin, the loopy flourishes giving way to sharp and precise lettering.

"_By the time you read this Loki, I will have passed on. Firstly, I want to apologize for everything. I wish I had been strong enough when I was alive to confess how I really felt regarding you. How I wanted to protect you from the legacy of your bloodline; the coldness and darkness that Frost Giants were known for. However, in sheltering you, I gave fuel to that fire that in the end would consume you whole. Know that I always have and always will love you."_

Loki could feel his heart softening towards the only man he knew as his father. Yes, his actions made him the man he was today, but so did Loki's. They were both to blame for the hell and darkness that even now hunted Loki's soul. With the book in his hands and the words written within its pages, Loki knew that he was being given a second chance.__

"_Loki, you must do as Thor says once you reach the final battle on Asgard. You will initiate Ragnarok. Before the Realm Eternal is destroyed by Surtur and Hela, it is imperative that you steal the Tesseract Cube and the Infinity Stone inside. The cube is not the power, but the Space Stone housed inside it is. In order to save the Universe, you must give this to Thanos. Unfortunately, you will die at this point."_

Still feeling chilled to the bone by this knowledge, Loki read on. In it the words Odin had written at Frigga's bidding told him how to go about surviving the confrontation with Thanos and the Decimation to follow. There were instructions on how and where to hide in order for the plan to save the Universe to work. It also detailed whom he had to contact and work with. He was surprised at the person chosen to help, but in the end, he knew his Mother was never wrong. Voices in the hangar made him look up, and he knew it was time to leave Sakkar once and for all.

Korg and the other prisoners let Loki come along with them, being the only one who knew how to get to Asgard. Loki charmed the lot of them all as they space jumped through the Universe to get to Asgard. He also explored the ship, scouting locations in which to enact his plan. There were many places that he could hide once the battle start. With the knowledge that he had, he was able to plan down to the last detail how and where to enact his plans.

Upon reaching Asgard Loki saw Hela's magically reborn troops chasing the civilians of Asgard down the rainbow bridge. Those that were too slow ended up being slaughtered by the demons. Even Heimdall, for all his prowess, couldn't fight off the horde. Immediately Loki jumped into the fray, shouting to the crowd,

"Everyone, on the ship now!"

"Welcome home." Himdall called out even as he fought off more of Asgards ancient warriors. "I saw you coming."

"Of course you did." Loki called gleefully, heart gladdened that the Gatekeeper still had his sense of humor despite the things that Loki had done to him in the past.

As they fought side by side, Valkyrie and Hulk flanking either side of them, Loki kept a weather eye on the palace. He knew that Thor and Hela were up there, fighting. Lightning flashed intermittently and the whole building would shudder, booms echoing across the water to the rainbow bridge. Just as Loki dispatched a nasty Hel beast, the whole of Asgard lit up. Electricity burned the air, and a deafening clap blasted from the throne room of the palace. A bolt of lightning, brighter than the sun rocketed to where Loki and his comrades stood. In a blink, Thor stood before him, bloody and -

"You're late." Thor grumbled.

"You're missing an eye." Loki pointed out in a deadpan, lips quirking into a smirk. Unable to control himself he added,

"Trying to look like your old man?"

"No." Thor grimaced and touched the empty socket where his right eye had been. Light flared around his finger even as the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Loki was amazed. His brother had just used his finger to cauterize the wound, stopping the bleeding and sealing the flesh. It was more magic than he had ever been able to do in the past.

"Hela did this." Thor sighed, looking weary to the bone. "Now that she is on Asgard, her power is limitless. We can hold her off until the civilians get away, but we won't be able to stop her."

Now Thor turned and looked sadly at the once beautiful golden realm, seeming to take it all in. Loki watched as a tear traced down his brother's cheek before he straightened his spine in resolve. Loki took a deep breath, knowing what would be asked of him next. It was something that part of him rebelled at. He was about to help destroy his home, the one place in the Universe where he had always felt somewhat safe.

"Loki, we will hold Hela here and distract her. I need you to go to the weapons vault and put Surtur's crown in the Eternal Flame. Asgard must be destroyed if we have any hope of stopping Hela."

"Bold move brother, even for me." Loki had a role to play, and Thor needed to be kept in the dark of his true intentions. Otherwise, what needed to come would not pass.

After a few more jabs, Loki turned and sprinted away. He made sure to glamour himself from Hela's vision as he passed her. In the back of his mind he wondered why the two of them looked so closely related, even though they weren't blood and neither had known the other existed. In a flash it came to him. Odin. Hela must have still been in his mind when he found Loki. Somehow, the magic that was woven into Loki at his birth found that memory and used it as a guide to pattern his appearance after. Loki had never questioned it until just now. His natural form was Frost Giant blue with the ancestral markings of his race, and yet he had grown up fair skinned and dark haired. Even his preference of colors echoed those of Hela, black and green. Once the war was over, Loki hoped to delve even deeper into his magic and self to discover the secrets of who and what he really was.

Once in the treasure vault, Loki snatched up Surtur's crown. As he passed the Tesseract, he slipped it into his personal dimensional pocket. Thor would never know that he had the Infinity Stone with him until it was too late. Then, after it was all over, Loki would reunite with his brother again.

"With the Eternal Flame, be Reborn." Loki spoke the invocation as he placed the crown of the Fire God Demon in the chalice of never ending flame. Instantly the room was filled with scorching heat and light. With a glance back as he reached the doorway to the vault, Loki saw the liquid fire demon step from the pool of violent heat. With a roar the creature grew, shooting right up through the roof, shattering stone and caving in the palace.

Quickly Loki spun a weave, and he was transported away.

From the safety of the Sakaaran ship, Loki watched with a heavy heart as Surtur laid waste to Asgard. His home was turned to rubble, then ash. Hela, infuriated beyond measure, began heaving great spikes of darkness at the demon, but nothing seemed to work. With the roar of a wounded animal, the goddess of death heaved a huge spear of Asgard up and into the chest of the giant fire demon. Groaning in pain, Surtur swiped a hand a Hela, the flaming demon skin slicing right through her own, sending her back to her realm of darkness. Then, with the last of his power, Surtur shoved his mighty sword down, right through the center of Asgard. For one brief moment, the world held its breath. In the next, through an explosion of power, the Realm Eternal was no more.


	13. Chapter 12 - Infinity War

**Chapter 12 - Infinity War**

Numb, and going through the motions, Loki joined his brother, catching the paperweight he threw at him, proving to him that he had escaped the destruction of their home. He knew that it wouldn't last long. Loki could feel Thanos getting closer by the moment, and he knew that the mad titan was about to be upon them. He was right.

Not even an hour later the ship was being over run by the Black Order. Many of the civilians were not slaughtered outright, but moved into holding cells. This was only after the majority of the fighting age men and some of the women were killed in battle. Valkyrie chose not to fight, knowing that the people would need someone to protect them. Loki was glad for it; it meant that Asgard would not completely die this day.

Loki was forced to stand at attention with the generals of the Black Order, watching as Thanos beat Thor repeatedly. Heimdall was in just as bad of shape, being the first to be tortured in order for Loki to hand over the Tesseract. The purple titan looked at Loki, Thor's head dwarfed by his hand.

"The Tesseract, or your brother's head." Thanos spoke to Loki, face full of malice. "I assume you have a preference."

Loki knew he had to try bravado first, to make sure all parties involved believed that Loki was who he had always been. With a careless shrug he says,

"Oh I do. Kill away." However, as Thanos uses the power stone to tourture Thor, Loki could feel his resolve buckling.

"Alright, stop!" Loki could feel tears of helplessness and anguish leaking from his eyes. He watched as Thor gasped for breath, wheezing,

"We don't have the Tesseract. It was destroyed on Asgard."

With a cringe and a sigh, Loki knew the game was up. Reluctantly he lifts his hand and pulls the cube from it's dimensional hiding place. The disappointment in Thor's eyes was almost too much to bear, and he wanted to tell his brother the truth.

"You really are the worst, brother." Even Thor's voice was gloomy. Loki advanced toward the Titan, holding out the cube. It was the farthest thing from what he really wanted to do, but he had no choice.

"I assure you brother, the Sun will shine on us again." Loki prayed Thor would understand the reference. It was a line from the Ragnarok story. Yes, there was death and destruction, but there was also a rebirth. In the end, the darkness came before the new light of life.

"Your optimism is misplaced Asgardian." Thanos smirked, reaching out his hand for the Tesseract, but Loki was quicker.

"Well, for one thing I'm not Asgardian." Surprise flickered in Thanos' eyes. Loki had managed to keep his true parentage from the titan all these years, just for a moment like this. A distraction. "We also have a Hulk."

Loki dodged out of the way as a fully Hulked out Banner came flying out of nowhere to tackle the purple monster. For several minutes the brutes trade blow after blow, but in the end, Thanos, with the help of the power stone, knocks Hulk out. Power shifted in the air and Loki braced himself.

"Allfathers!" Heimdall cried out, arms outstretched as golden power flared around him. "Let the dark magic flow through me. One. Last. Time."

Static crackled and rainbow lights flashed. The gatekeeper spirited the Hulk away with the remaining power of the Bifrost. Midgard now had a fighting chance of surviving the onslaught that was to come. Loki had read what would happen, and he knew that many lives would be lost. Without the Hulk being on Midgard, all would be lost.

"That was a mistake." Thanos lunges, stabbing Heimdall through the heart before coldly beheading him. This way there would be no reviving the man, no way to return the soul to the vessel. Loki's heart broke, the Universe already having grown darker without the tall man's life force within it.

Ebony Maw then offers the Tesseract to Thanos. Carelessly, the mad titan crushes the cube housing the Space Stone. With a look of euphoria on his face, he places the stone into the golden gauntlet, basking in the blue glow that flows over his body. He then instructs his Black Order to go to Earth and find the other two Infinity Stones.

"If I might interject." Loki stood from the shadows where he crouched. "If you are going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that arena."

Play the part, play the part. The mantra ran over and over in his head as he approached Thanos with more gravitas and pride than he felt.

"If you call failure experience …" Thanos murmured.

"I consider experience to be experience, mighty Thanos." Loki's eyes flickered to Thor, watching the horror dawn in his eyes. He knew what was about to happen, and he was pleading with Loki not to do it.

"I, Loki, Prince of Asgard … Odinson … The rightful King of Jotunheim, God of Mischief, do hereby pledge to you my undying fealty."

Quick as a snake, Loki tried to strike, choosing a long dagger instead of a sword. Thanos though, was faster, and a large, meaty hand wrapped itself around Loki's neck. Struggling to breathe Loki felt the mad titan squeeze. Pain blinded him as he felt his neck snap, darkness swallowing him up for the last time. Echoes of Thor's cry of anguish filling his ears.

In the next moment Loki jarred back to himself, opening his eyes to see himself back on Midgard. Looking down he saw himself dressed in a dark suit, similar to the one he had worn when he and Thor had come looking for Odin. Wary, the magician looked around and was surprised by what he saw. He stood in a shadowed alcove of Stark Tower, watching as the Avengers led a bound Loki across the foyer. Just like last time, there was a scuffle, but this time Loki from outside the timestream watched as the case holding the Tesseract fell at the feet of the current Loki.

Feral green eyes glanced down before darting up to look around. Young Loki met the eyes of the older Loki, widening in surprise. The unbound Loki shook his head but the younger version quickly reached down, scooping up the cube. In a flash of blue light the current Loki vanished, and so did the Loki who survived Thanos a second time. Loki knew he must he must stop his past self from escaping, or all hope would be lost.

In the space between worlds, Loki came face to face with himself.

"Is this some kind of trickery?" the younger version of him spat venom, still raw and angry over the actions of his adoptive family and Thanos.

"Yes, and no." Loki sighed, knowing it would be difficult to get through all the layers of pain and walls the previous version of him had built. "I am from the future."

"Please, if you are me from the future, tell me something I alone would know."

"Jane Foster of Midgard is your Soulbound mate."

"You lie." younger Loki snapped. "Thor's woman would never betray him. Why would I want his soiled seconds?"

Loki waved his hand, and an image of Jane appeared between them, three dimensional and lifelike. He watched as the younger version of himself stilled, and slowly, his pale skin darkened to blue. Green eyes bled into red. In shock and truth, Loki had reverted back to his true form. Loki had managed to avoid this the first time he met Jane properly in Asgard, but Loki knew that the next time he saw Jane, he would have a hard time not revealing his true self to her.

"How is that even possible?" Loki asked himself, not bothering to change back to his adopted form.

"You know as well as I that the Norns decree as they will." The current Loki waved the image of Jane away. It hurt to make the visgage disappear, but he knew that they would be together soon. "You also know that you have a part to play in this story."

The younger Loki glared at him, burning to cross his arms. Or to draw swords and fight the older version of himself.

"You must go back. Take the Tesseract with you. The timeline needs to remain in tact in order for us all to survive the coming war."

"Why tell me this? Aren't you creating a paradox by telling me all this?" Younger Loki shuffled his feet, chafing at being bound so.

"I tell you this to leave a seed in you, a seed that will grow and flower when the time is right. I also plan for you to have no memory of this conversation." The older Loki responded, raising a hand and letting green magic wash over the younger version of himself. The other man protested, but it was fruitless. He was inserted back into the timeline with the Tesseract.

Loki returned several moments before the case housing the Tesseract fell. This time around, the scene played out exactly as Loki remembered it to. He stood in the shadows and watched as the timeline remained in tact. It would be the last time Loki interfered in his own story. That tale was written, and now it was time for him to write a new story.


	14. Chapter 13 - Jane

**Chapter 13 - Jane**

Jane foster sighed as she stared at the monitor in front of her, watching news footage numbly. She had been sent to Norway as a guest astronomer at Tromsø Geophysical Observatory, and while it was a great honor, the timing was suspicious. From across the Atlantic Ocean came reports of an alien invasion taking place in New York. Images if destruction was displayed on every channel, the team called the Avengers taking front and center. The only one she had eyes for was Thor. His hair was longer, and his face looked more worn than the last time she had seen him.

Even though only a year had passed, it looked like Thor had aged years. He wore his armor as a second skin now, looking more like the warrior he was compared to a boy play acting in his father's clothes. Immediately part of Jane felt bad for thinking that, but it was true. Before, in New Mexico, the armor and the power didn't seem to fit him quite right. Now, it seemed to suit him better, but he still had a slight awkward edge to him.

Jane continued her research into cosmic energies and the signatures that they left on Earth, news reports continuing to run in the background.

"This just in." One of the more popular reporters from New York spoke as video showed the Avengers leaving the remains of Stark Tower. Thor led a man gagged and bound in chains out of the building. Something about him drew her attention, and that was when it hit her. Loki. Thor's brother who had tried to kill them all in New Mexico. Chills ran down her spine.

"The group known as the Avengers have managed to capture the person responsible for the attack on New York. This is the man who ripped open a hole above the now badly damaged Stark Tower and ushered in hundreds of aliens that ravaged our city. At this time, we do not know the plans for the criminal known as Loki, but we will keep you informed as details develop."

Silence fell over the lab as Jane muted the television. She sat staring at the images rolling across the screen, so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear her energy detectors beeping in warning. Behind her a dimensional breach opened, and Loki stepped out.

"Hello Jane."

With a startled shriek, Jane toppled out of the chair she was in, heart racing. She would have landed on the floor, but a pair of arms caught her and steadied her. Brushing her long hair out of her face, she looked up and into the face of the man she had just seen on the television. Fear and anger lanced through her, and she raised her hand to strike him. He caught her hand, and held it in a surprisingly gentle grip, green eyes shimmering in the light.

"You! How did you get here?" Jane glanced back at the television, seeing a bound Loki being led by Thor to a bridge in Central Park. The tall man flicked his glance to where the television was before the machine went dark.

"That is not me." Loki replied calmly, hand releasing her as he stepped back. "At least, not the me you see now. I am from the future. The Loki you saw in your screen is the version of me that resides in this timeline."

The gears in Jane's mind began to whir. Her research had stumbled upon a theory where Einstein-Rosen bridges could be bent and warped, doubling back on themselves to allow travel not only through space, but time as well. She had just barely scratched the surface of regular space travel, and was nowhere near ready to tackle time travel. Even now it made her head hurt.

"Time travel?" Jane whispered, staring blankly at the man before her. Now that she was looking at him properly, she could see that the man in front of her was indeed not the man who was currently half a world away.

This Loki looked worn around the edges. He had seen much and lived through much. The cockiness that oozed from the Loki of today was absent in the man before her. There was an aura of calm that wrapped around him, yet underneath she could still sense power bristling. Wordlessly he held out his hand to her, a green shimmer dancing across his fingertips.

"Among other things." Loki quirked a half smile before turning serious again.

"I know you have an unquenchable curiosity inside you Jane Foster, and I know that, in time, you and my current self will cross paths due to this. I wish to give you a gift, a way to survive what is to come."

Jane, curiosity peaked, stepped closer to the man clad in black and green leather.

"It won't hurt, will it?" She felt like she was under a spell. There was something that drew her to Loki like a moth to a flame. Her usual reserves crumbled before his wicked smile and warm voice.

"No, my dear. This time it won't hurt." He wiggled his fingers and the magic in his palm danced, drawing her in. "I can't promise that it won't hurt in the future, but the gift I will give you will help you handle the pain better."

Something inside her whispered that she could trust him. Part of her wanted to trust him. Stepping toward the tall man in front of her, Jane felt a rightness settle over her like a warm blanket. It felt like coming home. Wondering at the feel of it, she placed her hand in his. Gently she was drawn to him, the green magic in his hand sinking into her skin. When she was close enough to feel the armor of his clothing, she watched his head dip, coming closer.

Eyes sliding shut, Jane offered herself up to Loki, standing on tiptoe. Long, strong arms wrapped around her, even as cool soft lips caressed her own. Inhaling his scent Jane opened herself up, letting herself drown in the magic of the man holding onto her. Soon, the gentle kiss turned hot and frantic, hands gripping each other tight. A fire had been lit deep inside Jane, and she knew only Loki could quench it. She craved more; she wanted it all.

Even as she sought more of Loki, she felt him pull back. Confused she let him go, looking into eyes the color of dark emeralds, golden flecks of magic sparking within their depths. Green light flashed around her, and instantly Jane fell asleep.

Loki, body raging with hunger, picked his Jane up gently, and silently padded through the lab to the couch on the far side of the room. He inhaled her scent even as he sent his magic to hide the memories of this night from her. When the time was right, they would resurface, and they would be together forever. After laying Jane down, Loki bent and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, whispering,

"My magic, my life force is now within you Jane Foster. You and I are one, now and forever. With all the power I possess, you will survive the coming trials and war."

Another portal opened and Loki was gone, as if he had never been there at all.


	15. Chapter 14 - Reunion with Jane, Part 1

**Chapter 14 - Reunion with Jane, Part 1**

Loki watched events unfold as they needed to from his hiding place in the branches of Yggdrasil, using the power of the Tree of Life to mask his magical signature from the Universe. He watched as Jane was infected with the Aether, the magic he had given her helping to ease her suffering and holding her soul to the light when she wanted to give up. It hurt him to watch, just as it had before, but this time Loki knew that she would survive and thrive because of her trial.

He could also feel Thanos gathering his power and resources. It was imperative that he remained hidden until after the Aether had been removed from Jane. He needed Thor to be off scouring the Universe on his quest to understand the vision the the witch Wanda Maximov had given him in order to go to Jane and explain what was to come. Loki was careful to not use too much magic, lest he give himself away.

After Jane returned to Midgard, she began to heal from her time being the vessel of the Aether. The Infinity stones were a potent source of magic, and once they have touched you, they leave an indelible, intangible print on you. You are shielded from the magic of the stone that changed you, and by extension, you are granted immunity from the effects of the other stones. It was like an inoculation. Once you were exposed, you had immunity. Shortly after returning home, Jane parted ways with Thor, and Loki waited a little longer before he let himself be known to her.

Nearly nine months had passed since Jane's adventure on the Dark World, and she was just now beginning to feel like her old self. Darcy had finished her tenure with Jane, and had decided to move on to other pursuits. They still kept in touch, but it wasn't the same. Even Erik was different. It took him a long time to recover from Loki, and he had decided that he needed a change of scenery. All the way to Ireland. That left Jane all alone in New Mexico.

"Yes, I am fine." Jane was three way calling her two friends one night, peering through her telescope and taking notes on the stars that she saw. "I am nearly healed all the way, and I'm sleeping through the night again."

"If you're sure." Erik hedged, sounding sleep drunk.

"I am. For some reason, something inside me kept the worst of the darkness and pain away. I could feel it and knew it was there, but it was like seeing it from the other side of a glass wall."

"Well, whatever it was, I'm glad it worked." Darcy popped a bubble with her gum on the other end of the line. "I hate to jet, but I've got a party I've got to get to."

"I also need to go. It's early here, but I need to get ready to teach my next class." Erik sighed.

"You guys go," Jane said with a bittersweet smile, missing their voices already. "Same time next week?"

"You bet."

Once they were gone Jane looked up at the night sky once again and muttered to the Universe,

"How did I survive the Aether? Everyone said I should have been dead."

"I saved you." A familiar, smooth and dark voice spoke from the shadows. Stifling a yelp Jane turned to see Loki step into the pale circle of light put out by her lantern. Her heart started hammering and she began shaking.

"I thought you were dead." Pain echoed in her heart as she remembered Thor's cries. Watching as the life drained from Loki's body, the agony of having to leave his body behind.

"A necessary deception." Loki sighed, shoulders slumping. "I had a bounty on my head, and in order to survive, I needed to fake my death."

Jane crossed her arms skeptically. Seemed like a pretty convenient excuse to her. She knew of Loki's penchant for trickery and subterfuge from Thor, so she also knew to not take everything the silver tongued trickster said at face value.

"Why are you here Loki? Don't feed me a line of crap either. Tell me the truth or I'm calling Heimdall."

"Heimdall would be a good friend to see again." Loki passed by Jane to settle onto the low concrete wall surrounding the roof. "When and where I came from, I just watched him be murdered before I died."

"What?" Jane was shocked. Not just by the words Loki spoke, but the way he spoke them. He looked defeated and worn down, nothing like the Loki that she had known during her travels with him to the Dark World. "Where's Thor?"

"Which one? The one from this timeline, or mine?"

"Wait a minute. Timeline?" Jane moved to stand in front of Loki. "Time travel isn't possible."

Loki's eyes flared green as he murmured, "Remember."

In a flash, the past rushed back to her. Their meeting not even two years ago. Their kiss. All of it. Stunned she looked at Loki and realized he was the same now as he had been then, nothing had changed. Even Thor had changed from the last time she had seen him. Was it possible?

"What happened to you?" Jane finally uncrossed her arms and stepped closer to him, standing at his side. "You aren't the Loki that was with us, are you?"

"No, Jane, I'm not." Loki lifted his hand and an orb of light appeared. Cautiously she reached her hand out for it, stopping just shy of her fingers brushing it. She was mesmerized by the colors swirling inside it. Like last time she was helpless to fight the allure of his magic.

"What is it?" She whispered, not taking her eyes off the ball of magic glowing before her.

"What I want you to know about what has happened and what will happen." Loki's voice thrummed with power, magic pulsing in his tone. "I've masked my signature the best I can, but you need to take the sphere, otherwise our journey will be over before it begins."

"What do you -"

Jane reached out and grasped the magic, mind plunging into its depths. She watched as a movie rolled before her eyes. She saw everything that Loki had experienced and had been a part of. Tears rolled down her face as she watched in horror as friends and loved ones died, unable to do anything to stop the madness. She also learned that Loki knew that the events to come were going to play out before they happened.

"See Jane? If I had not lied to both you and my brother, the Decimation would have arrived far sooner than the Norns wanted it." Loki's voice floated through the magic. "All the pieces must be in place in order for the path to survival to happen. There will be no victory to be celebrated, only lives to be remembered. Worlds to be avenged. Justice to be brought upon the monster responsible for all of this."

Jane finally surfaced from the magic, orb disintegrating in her grasp. She looked upon Loki with new eyes, eyes that could see past the facade and into the depths of who he was. This was a man who had seen much, done much and had lived through unspeakable horror. Her heart shuddered in sympathy, even as she wanted to ease his burden.

"How is it that I survived the Aether?" It was the first of many questions that Jane knew she would have.

"I needed you safe, so I gave you part of my spark. My magic. It bound your soul to this realm when your body became weak from the Infinity Stone."

Jane just stared at Loki blankly, mind refusing to work to understand what the Asgardian was telling her. She knew on an intellectual level that there was more to the Universe than she could have ever dreamed, but to come face to face with the proof of it made Jane uncomfortable. Not sure what to do or say Jane moved to sit in one of the chairs next to the table, letting the warmth and light of her lantern fall across her. It did little to keep the chill away that had settled over her.

"I see you are overwhelmed." Loki stood, leather creaking and armor clinking. "I will return tomorrow and explain everything in more detail to you. Sleep well Jane."

With a shimmer of magic the tall man was gone, as if he had never been there in the first place. Oddly though, Jane missed his presence. Feeling unsettled, she cleaned up and headed to bed.

The sun had just risen to kiss the sky when Loki materialized in Jane's lab. He knew she had yet to awaken, and he put the quiet to good use. Silent he shifted papers around her desk, reading her materials and getting a better understanding of how much astronomical engineering she had. He was not surprised that she had a solid understanding of how the Bifrost worked, even though she called it by a different name. She had even begun to dip her toes into the theory of time travel, but was a long way from cracking the code.

Loki himself had never heard of it having been done, not until he experienced it firsthand. Somehow the Norns made it possible for Loki to exist at the same time as his younger self, but cloaked from the other Loki's magic. In the back of his mind, he suspected it had something to do with the SoulBond that he shared with Jane. Leaving her papers where they were, he decided to explore the rest of the facility that his other half resided in. Bare and utilitarian, the basic structure was that of a warehouse. The bottom floor made up the laboratory as well as a small kitchenette and garage parking. Upstairs housed the apartment that Jane lived in now, and where she was currently waking up from her sleep.

Loki could sense her coming awake and knew that she would be down soon. He was also aware that she had convinced herself that last night was only a dream, a figment of her imagination. Hoping to not startle her further, Loki transformed his typical attire to that of a black dress shirt and slacks. Conjuring a bagel with cream cheese he settled in to wait for Jane.

"There is no way Loki was here last night." He could hear her muttering to herself as she descended the stairs. "You're just overworked and exhausted."

"I agree."

Jane shrieked and threw the book she was holding at Loki's head. Suppressing a chuckle he caught he book with ease, seeing that it was a nonfiction book about space travel.

"You do work too hard for someone who has the answers to their questions sitting right here." Loki smirked, watching Jane's ruffled feathers settle back into place.

"So, you're really here." She walked past him stiffly, gathering an apple, peanut butter and bread before sitting across the table from him.

"Yes, and I can tell you the reason for that now, if you would like."

"No." Jane shook her head. "I need coffee, food and more coffee before I want to deal with you or anything related to my work."

Loki retreated to the lab to look over her notes again, letting her eat in peace. He could feel her watching him as he slowly made his way through her lab, peering into microscopes and flipping through notebooks. Now that they were in the same place, without any real restrictions, Loki could feel the connection between them glowing faintly. It was light and could be easily severed with malicious intent, but had been strong enough to survive the time in Thanos' realm. The only way it would be unbreakable was if the sealed the bond of their own free will. He had finally made it to the windows on the far side of the room when he heard Jane approach, footsteps quiet.

"Loki, tell me something. Does anyone even know you are here?"

"No, they don't, and it is imperative that no one does." He turned to look at her, seeing the sunlight of the New Mexico morning glinting off her hair and eyes. It almost made her look Asgardian. Loki felt a tug behind his heart, and the flash of a frown on Jane's face told him that she had felt it too.

"You said you would tell my why you are here. I'm ready to hear it." Jane crossed her arms and stared out the window just as he was. Time to come clean about it all.

"What do you know if Norse myth and legend?"

"Not as much as Erik, but more than most. Why?" Jane shrugged, still not looking at him. Loki sighed.

"In my world, there was a story of a phenomenon. While rare, it is not unheard of for it to happen. Have you ever heard of a soulmate?" Loki gazed sightlessly into the daylight, mind reaching back years to the day Frigga told him what the sensation in his heart had been.

"Yes, but they aren't real." Jane shuffled her feet, exasperation in her voice. "Each person is their own whole. Yes, you can find companionship and love in another person, but you don't need someone else to be whole."

"That is true, but only for a false connection." Loki shook his head, wearniness and apprehension settling into his bones. "When a soul is born, there are times when it is born incomplete. It searches for the other half. Sometimes they are reunited, sometimes they are not."

Loki turned to look at Jane now, studying her closely. Her eyes were still trained on the landscape before them, but her bottom lip was being worried between her teeth. He knew that she didn't fully believe in what she said, that there was a small kernel inside of her that knew he spoke the truth. Taking a deep breath he asked,

"When you were with Thor, did you ever feel like you were close to the one thing you wanted, yet it wasn't him?"

Brown eyes flashed up to his, flecks of red lingering from the Aether after all this time. In them he read the confusion she felt. Loki knew that he hadn't been subtle when looking at Jane over the course of their adventure, but at the time he wasn't sure how aware of her surroundings Jane had been. Now though, he suspected that she might have been more aware than she let on.

"Yes, but how did you know?" She asked slowly, arms falling to her sides.

"Because I felt the same way when we were saving you from the Aether Infinity Stone." Loki watched her closely. "Why do you think I protected you so fiercely after you were free? I could have easily sent you away from the battle, but then I wouldn't have been able to keep you safe."

"I don't - I'm not sure I understand." Her voice was faint and her eyes began to water, remembering the Dark World. The agony of having a living Infinity Stone pulled out of you by dark forces, of seeing the intentions of Malekith. The fear of the unknown and the power residing inside her.

"You Jane Foster. You and your amazing spirit, your fire, your thirst for knowledge. You have the other half of my soul." Loki confessed, body shivering. He could feel his control over his emotions slowly beginning to slip. "I have felt you for over a thousand years, and to know that I almost lost you before I had you was tearing me apart."

"NO!" Jane spun away from him, rubbing her hands across her face. "You can't claim to love me after everything you did. After all the hell you put Thor through. After New York. You don't get to play the victim here."

"Jane, Jane, Jane." Loki knew that this was going to be difficult. He understood that all she knew of him was what he had shown her and the world. He needed to figure out how to show her the truth of his very soul, the soul that even now was screaming for hers. "What I am speaking of is more than love. It is a connection that can't be expressed in mere words. It's something more. It's your soul calling out to mine, whether you want it to or not. We do not get to choose who houses the other half of our souls."

"Why me though?" Jane spun, throwing her hands in the air. Faint sparks of red trailed from her hands and the ends of her hair, remnants of power that only Loki's magical sight could see. "Is it because of Thor?"

Anger ripped it's way through Loki, but with a grimace he held it in check. Even now, his brother was thwarting him. Just like always. Not this time though, this time Loki would reap the spoils.

"Odin was the vehicle to introduction. Thor was the catalyst to bringing us together. The Aether bound us together so we may survive the coming Decimation."

"Let's skip forward a bit. What is an Infinity Stone and what is this Decimation you keep referring to?" Jane boxed up her emotions and Loki knew he needed to tread carefully. He let her shut down, for now. Soon though, she would have to face the truth.


	16. Chapter 15 - Reunion with Jane, Part 2

**Chapter 15 - Reunion with Jane, Part 2 - History and Truth**

"Odin was the vehicle to introduction. Thor was the catalyst to bringing us together. The Aether bound us together so we may survive the coming Decimation."

"Let's skip forward a bit. What is an Infinity Stone and what is this Decimation you keep referring to?" Jane boxed up her emotions and Loki knew he needed to tread carefully. He let her shut down, for now. Soon though, she would have to face the truth.

"We should probably sit down for this." Loki moved to the couch nearby. Jane followed him wordlessly, settling onto the far end from him. She looked skittish and uncertain. Loki settled into a relaxed pose and began his story.

"When the Universe was born, cosmic energies ebbed and flowed across the stars. Over time, the first beings, the Celestials learned how to harness the powers. Eventually they forged them into the six Infinity Stones, and the secret of how has been lost to the memory of time. One of those stones was the Aether, otherwise known as the Reality Stone. It has the power to shape the world around you to anything you desire. With its power, you could make anything you want happen, and if your force of will was strong enough, the change would be permanent."

Loki watched Jane's expressions change as he told his tale. At first there was skepticism before it morphed into interest, and then horror at the end when she realized what had taken over her body. While all the stones were powerful and dangerous in their own ways, the Reality Stone tended to have larger and more far reaching consequences when used.

"I had that inside me?" Jane echoed faintly, staring down at her hands. Even now Loki could still imagine the red veins of power that had traced along her skin.

"Now you know why I had to come back and shield you. To protect you. Without you, I would have fallen completely to the Darkness. If I had done so, the Universe would have been destroyed many years before the Norns decreed Decimation that is to come."

"So how did you come back and save me?" Jane worked her way past her shock, inquisitive mind kicking back into gear. Loki watched as she chewed on her thumbnail, eyes becoming unfocused as she examined the problem at hand. After a few moments she looked up, eyes large on her face.

"If what you say is true, then time is a Causal Loop. In that case, every action is predetermined, and nothing you can do will stop it." Jane's voice had an edge of hysteria to it.

"Actually, the Causal Loop is in play until the year 2016, and then after that, Time Loop effects take over." Loki replied. "Everything that must happen in order for the Decimation to happen cannot be changed. If someone were to travel back and interfere in a way that disrupts the phenomenon, time will crumble and the Universe will cease to exist."

"That's not possible. Time has a way of setting things right, doesn't it?"

"Generally yes, but only to small things that can be fixed easily. If someone were to remove an Infinity Stone from the timeline, or if a key player in the upcoming battle were to die early, then the story gets wiped clean and everything gets erased."

"Ung, I hate time travel. It makes my head hurt. Nothing ever makes sense and there are no real rules." Jane complained, making Loki smile.

"That's why it rarely happens." He spread his hands with a flourish. "Except for me apparently. The Norns had a plan for me all along. I didn't travel back in time of my own free will, they did it to me."

Jane took a deep breath, letting it soak in. Everything Loki said made sense and fell in line with what she had been shown of the future. His knowledge of the events to come only reached until his death at the hands of Thanos, but he knew of the Mad Titan's plan for the Universe. The Decimation.

"Explain the Decimation to me." Jane was curious. "I caught a glimpse of it when you showed me the future, but I don't understand what I saw."

"Thanos thinks himself to be a savior, someone to bring balance and order to the Universe. He sees reality as bloated with life, too much life for the Universe to sustain. In his mind, by removing half of all the living things, he will even out the distribution of resources to the survivors."

"He's deluded." Jane scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Life will flourish afterwards. Yes, it may take a while, but eventually the Universe will be just as crowded then as it is now."

"You try telling an insane Titan that and see how long you survive." Loki quipped, hints of his past cockiness and quick tongue showing through.

"Ok, all of that makes sense in a twisted way." Jane decided to let everything slide, seeing how there was nothing for her to do to change the future. According to what she saw, after the Dark World, she no longer showed up in the timeline that Loki experienced. More than likely she was still here on Earth, avoiding conflict at all costs.

"I guess the only thing left for you to explain why we are bound together."

She watched Loki sigh and shift forward on the couch, leaning towards her. Cautiously Jane straightened her spine, yet leaned back just a touch. She suddenly felt like prey and that the man before her was looking for a meal.

"You remember the power of the kiss I gave you to save your soul?"

Wordlessly Jane nodded, remembering the heat and desire vividly. At the same time though there had been a sense of rightness. A sense of coming home.

"What you felt was just a fraction of the connection between us." Again, Loki reached out his hand to her. This time though, there was no magic. Just a man holding out his hand to the woman before him. "If you permit, I can show you how it could be between us."

"I'm not sure that is such a good idea." Jane felt cornered, pressured into doing something that she didn't. Even though she wasn't a virgin by any means, she wasn't about to be forced into doing something against her will.

"It is a Spirit Weave only." Loki tilted his head to the side, long black hair sliding over his shoulder sexily, green eyes hooded. "Nothing will happen unless you want it to."

"Are you sure?" Jane still felt the need to clarify, to make sure that what she was doing was of her own free will.

"Jane." The way Loki said her name was silken, like he savored saying it. "Even though we are bound, that bond also prevents me from forcing you to do anything. You are protected from me by the very thing that binds us together."

For several long moments Jane stared at the god in front of her, trying to read his intentions in his tone and face. She knew that if she accepted Loki's hand, her future would change forever. She would no longer be Jane Foster, making her way through the world alone. Part of her celebrated the idea that she would find someone who fit her better than anyone she had ever known, while the other part of her was skeptical. Jane, never one to make a decision without all the facts, took a deep breath and accepted the hand that was held out to her.


	17. Chapter 16 - Forging the Bond

**Chapter 16 - Forging the Bond**

The first thing Jane realized was just how big Loki's hand was in comparison to hers. His hands were rough and coolness radiated off of him. She filed that information away for later, wanting to know why he was cold compared to warm. Long, slim fingers enveloped her hand, sending shivers up her arm.

"Jane Foster, this is what the future holds for you if you decide to walk down this path with me."

The world around her shimmered, morphing into something else. Around her and Loki were scenes of a possible future of them together. In one image she and Loki stood on a hill watching a herd of Unicorns graze. In another they stood in an ancient observatory, staring as the sky as Loki pointed out stars to her. Jane winning a nobel prize for her work in astrophysics. Dancing under the moonlight shining through a tree with metallic golden leaves. Watching as two children, a boy and a girl, chase each other through a field of flowers below two suns handing in the sky.

Underneath all of these images was a warm sensation slowly filling her body and heart. It felt like a net of protection being woven around her, finer and lighter yet stronger than anything man made. There was a sense of peace, and of wholeness washing over her. Jane also felt stronger. She felt invincible, full of energy and excitement. Wonder at the world that she lived in. Pride that she had helped shape the Universe in a way that, while was devastating for a time, ended up being for the betterment of all.

After all of these images and feelings subsided, she felt a heat building inside her. A hunger. The hotter the desire built, there was a whisper of a cold chill that followed. The two extremes danced around each other, moving in to caress each other before drifting apart. It was then that Jane knew. She was the heat, and Loki was the cold. Two opposites that when joined together were able to forge amazing things.

Blinking Jane returned to the real world around her. Loki now sat in his leathers and armor. Honestly Jane preferred him dressed as the warrior prince that he was compared to a human. Not that he didn't look good in all black; it was just until she got to know him better, this was the Loki that she pictured in her mind.

"Will all those things happen if I accept this bond you offer?"

"That and more." Loki gave her a half smile, but sobered quickly. "Yes, our future will be long and fruitful, but it must be of your choice. I have already made mine, many years ago. I have no one left but Thor, and until after the Decimation, he cannot know that I am alive. I fear that even then, our relationship will never be the same. Especially once he finds out about you and I."

Drawn to Loki in ways that Jane couldn't even articulate, she scooted closer to him on the couch, reaching out to cup his cheek in her hand. It was a primal urge to reach out and comfort him. With a soft sigh he leaned into her touch, eyes slipping closed in bliss.

"You shouldn't worry about your brother." Jane spoke softly, soothingly. "We parted ways amicably. In reality, we never could have been. Not because of our bond, but because we were so very different."

"You said 'our bond'." Loki opened green eyes to gaze at her hopefully. "Does that mean you accept me?"

Jane tilted her head and considered her heart before answering.

"In time."She watched Loki's face fall, but she pressed on.

"Loki, you've known about this bond for longer than I can comprehend. I'm going to need time to open up and let you in. I won't make you wait forever, but I do need a little time."

"Very well, my Jane."

Over the next weeks Jane and Loki spent time together, learning more about each other. He would tell her more about the history of the stars and planets that he had traveled to, and she would share her past and research with him. Together they watched the news coverage of the fall of SHIELD, Jane gasping in horror as she watched the Triskelion collapse into the Potomac River. She jumped every time her phone rang, afraid it was either Hill or Fury wanting to bring her in to restore her research. The only time she was contacted from them, it was a text message from a secure number that she knew to be from Maria Hill.

'The King survived Checkmate.'

"What type of message is that supposed to be?" Loki asked leaning over her shoulder to read the message, the two of them having been working on updating her star charts.

"It means Nick Fury is still alive." Jane supplied, knowing the basics of the code words used for the higher up players in shield due to her security clearance. After her first run in with SHIELD, they had placed her on retainer at Red Level clearance. She answered only to Fury, Hill, Banner and Stark, and by extension Ms. Potts.

"You've gained some powerful allies since we last met in this timeline." Loki commented dryly.

"More like babysitters. They want to make sure I don't develop interdimensional space travel without their knowledge."

Loki snorted, and it was just another thing they had in common. Dislike of SHIELD as a whole. Individual members were friendly, but overall, the operation was unwieldy and difficult to work with. Luckily, out in the backwater town of New Mexico, Jane stayed off their radar more often than not.

More time was spent together, and each day the bond between them grew stronger. Loki's magic began seeping into Jane, awakening her latent magic. All humans had the seeds of magic within them, passed down from their ancient ancestors who were children of the first beings in the Universe. Over time, the two species bred, and the magical lineage was diluted. Prolonged exposure to powerful magic would awaken the magic within, and now Loki was tasked with training Jane to control her power. Otherwise she could blow her lab up.

"LOKI!" Jane called one morning, smoke filling the lab. She was coughing and waving her hands when he appeared in a green shimmer. Speaking an ancient word the smoke disappeared, everything that had been disrupted in the lab returning to their proper places.

"What happened?" Loki teased with a smile, making Jane cross her arms. Embarrassed she answered.

"I sneezed."

Loki was impressed by how quickly Jane grasped the theories and practicalities behind using her magic. Despite setting her lab on fire with a sneeze, she was able to control her powers quickly. He suspected that having had the Aether inside her also altered how she handled her powers. Because of her affinity for knowledge and having been tied to himself, Loki had a notion that Jane was a little more than mere human now.

Loki continued to train Jane in her magic, keeping an eye out for when he needed to step back into the timeline to make certain the future continued in the way it needed to. Once again, they were on the sidelines as the world watched as the Avengers fight a homicidal robot on the other side of the world. Needing to get away from the media coverage, Loki took Jane out into the sands of New Mexico.

"I want you to focus, Jane." Loki called from across a medium sized crevasse. "Transport yourself to my side. Picture space opening for you like a door. All you have to do is step through."

He watched her take a deep breath and close her eyes. He could feel the magic crackle in the air as a reddish black portal wavered into existence in front of Jane. Even the shade of her magical signature contained traces of the Aether. Jane stepped into the magic, only to appear seconds later at his side. Opening her eyes, Jane smiled brightly up at him.

"Do you know you smell like mint and crisp nights?" She asked innocently, but the question nearly undid Loki. He was thrilled. The bond was nearly complete, only three more steps left before they would be bound forever.

"Yes. You, my lovely Jane, smell of cinnamon and sunshine to me." Loki wrapped an arm around her and drew her close to him. Over the weeks, he and Jane had begun the art of physical courtship. A touch here, a hug there. Nothing overt, but they were enough to kindle the flame inside their hearts.

Jane inhaled deeply and asked softly,

"What am I smelling? Now you smell like leather and metal."

"You're smelling my magic, my very essence." He smiled gently at her as her eyes grew larger. "It means our bond is maturing."

"Really?" She leaned more into him, comfortable being near him. "What is left to be done?"

Loki spun his magic, and together they reappeared in Jane's lab. He glanced at the windows around them, and the rolling curtains lowered, giving them privacy. The television clicked off. All his attention was focused on the woman in his arms. She was hot as the summer in his arms, aura as bright as the sun. Her cinnamon eyes were open and trusting, and anticipation built inside Loki.

"All that is left, my beautiful Jane." Loki whispered, lowering his face to hers. "Are a freely given kiss, and a night of unrivaled passion."

For a long, breathless moment, neither one of them moved. Time was frozen even as Loki felt his heart thundering in his chest, reveling in the echo of Jane's heart. Then Jane moved, rising up on her tiptoes and pressing her soft lips to his. Lightning flared in Loki's veins, fire trailing from Jane's hands as she slid them up and locked them around his neck. Quickly he materialized a stool under her feet, knowing that their height difference was significant. Everything, every past hurt, every past misdeed melted away in the presence of the blinding light that was the essence of Jane. Shadows that had shrouded his heart and soul for millenia fell away, leaving him as clean as a newborn babe. Loki could feel his soul reaching to hers, and felt the tingle of excitement when her soul brushed against his.

Jane was unable to resist Loki any longer. Each day his scent grew, his voice sunk deeper under her skin, his face was burned into her heart, his name tattooed onto her soul. Cold, sharper and more thrilling than anything she had ever known sliced through her, feeding her hunger. She felt herself, her true inner self opening up to the man before her. The intangible part of herself opened its arms to Loki, pulling him into her, shielding him from the world he had fought to survive in. She felt stronger and more vulnerable than she ever had in her entire life.

Lips slid and danced. Hands caressed and teased. Hearts beat together as one. Bright white hot light glowed around the two of them, green and red swirling together in a violent orb of mystical energy. It pulsed in time with their shared heartbeats, shivering with each breath that they took. As the two drowned in each other, the magic slowly morphed. Colors shifted, flickers of ice and flame dancing along the edges. Soon, the aura of the two of them matured into a beautiful golden glow. Shimmers of green and flickers of red echoed in the rich gold.

Gently Loki pulled back from the kiss, neither of them willing to let the other go. Breathing deep he opened his eyes to look upon the true visage of Jane. Their souls, now having been joined, gave way to their true selves. Jane was radiant, the glow of her magic lighting her skin up from within. She was bright like the sun. At the same time though, he knew that he was dark like the night. Slowly, the magic around them settled over them like a blanket, covering them in shimmering gold. FInely spun gold that sank into their skin, reveling at the near completion of their bond.

Jane gasped at the Loki that stood before her. He was blue, with eyes the color of blood, his black hair even darker than before. Swirling lines traced all across his skin, decorating the sapphire dark blue of his skin with lighter lines of cobalt. Coldness radiated from him like heat would normally radiate from a person, causing goosebumps to spread across her skin. Other than that, he looked the same. Unable to help herself, Jane reached up to touch a swirl on his left cheek. Ghosting her fingers over it she felt him shiver, watching his red eyes slip closed.

"You're beautiful." She whispered. "Why are you blue though?"

Red eyes flashed open, looking at her in surprise. The blue began to melt away when Jane shook her head. She wanted to keep looking at Loki this way, wanting to trace and memorize every line of his face.

"Don't change, please."

"You finally see the real me." Loki sighed softly, arms slipping from around her to help her down off the stool he had conjured.

"The real you?" Jane echoed as Loki led her to the couch, settling herself down next to him, snuggling into his side, turning to look at him. Now that she was used to the chill coming from him, it felt like a cool breeze on a summer day. Enough to give you a chill, but not enough to make you cold.

"I'm not Asgardian like Thor. I come from a race of giants from Jotunheim. I am a Frost Giant."

Loki held his breath like he was afraid of what she would say, and Jane's heart broke for the man before her. This man was ashamed of what he really was. No one should feel that way. Jane wondered why Loki felt that way. He was exotc and had more power in his pinky than anyone she had ever encountered.

"I don't know what a Frost Giant is, but I don't care. To me, you're Loki. Nothing more, nothing less."

Loki let a huge breath out, and Jane knew that every last fear with his heritage just melted away. Something deep inside the both of them clicked, and suddenly they knew that they were completely bound. They felt the mutual passion rise, and with a smile they both teleported to the apartment upstairs.

Together, they moved as one, sinking into the paradise that only the two of them could create. In indulging in each other, the last link of the bond shimmered into place. Now, they were one, and nothing could rip them apart. All through the night they explored each other, delving deep into the magic binding them. It was the start of the rest of their lives.


	18. Chapter 17 - Prep for Deciamtion, Part 1

**Chapter 17 - Preparing for the Decimation, Part 1**

Jane felt Loki's magic ripple one morning, and she turned her head to look at him. He usually sat on the far side of her lab at a desk he had created, making notes about her theories. He would also record the books that he had memorized from the Great Library of Asgard, knowing that in the future, he would have the only copies of the rare volumes of knowledge. Very rarely would he actually travel to the Asgard of this timeline to magically replicate the information to later be written out back on Midgard.

This morning though, he was leafing through an insanely massive book bound in metal. The pages inside were still parchment, but the bindings were magical in nature. It was a book unlike any of the others Jane had seen him pull from Asgard. Curious, she moved to stand at his shoulder, reading the inscriptions inside.

"Why is this book written in English?" Jane was thoroughly surprised. Loki had taught her how to read the major languages of the Universe, and English wasn't one of them. The closest language was Old Gaelic.

"Because this book is from your world." Loki answered, long fingers flipping pages. "I borrowed it from the Ancient One of the Kamar-Taj in Kathmandu. We've met before and she knows I'm here."

"I thought you said no one knew you were here." Jane was confused.

"The Ancient One is a being more powerful than I. The current incarnation is that of a Gaelic female, but soon the mantle will pass. I must make sure I have a meeting with the new holder of Agamoto's Eye before the Decimation occurs."

"Will you let me know when you leave?" Jane knew that this was something Loki needed to do, and that she would only be in the way of she went along.

"Always." Loki smiled up at her. Jane, returning his smile bent down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "You are always first in my life, my aurora."

"You are always my heart, starlight." Jane responded in kind, loving their personal endearments for each other.

Three weeks later Loki announced that he would be meeting with Stephen Strange in New York. He would also be checking in on the remaining Avengers, to make sure that the timeline was in tact. Jane wished him well and kissed him goodbye. She didn't know how long he would be gone, but she knew that she didn't need to worry for his safety.

Loki, after a sweet kiss from his Jane, materialized at 177A Bleeker Street in front of the American Sanctum Sanctorum. Wearing his guise of a mortal man, Loki ascended the steps of the brownstone, only to see the door swing open magically. Without pause he entered, knowing that there was no harm to be had. Magic filled the air, rich and full of history. Hundreds of years worth of spells had been produced inside the walls of the Sanctum. It felt warm and comforting to Loki, missing the magical aura of Asgard.

"Welcome to my Sanctum, Loki Odinson." A tall man in a red cape floated down over the banister of the balcony above, the cloak of levitation putting on a show.

"Laufeyson actually." Loki shrugged, finally healed of that old wound thanks to Jane. "Odin adopted me."

"Well, it seems that there are some things that even I don't know." Dr. Strange landed before him and nodded. "You can remove your glamor now; no one outside can see you."

Loki did as he was bade, impressed when the magician before him didn't even raise an impressive brow at Loki being dressed in his traditional leathers and armor. The man had an amazing self assurance, bordering on cockiness. He also held immense power, but not quite the level of power that the last Sorcerer Supreme had wielded. Motioning for him to follow, Strange turned and made his way to one of the smaller anterooms off the main foyer.

"So, how is it that the adoptive son of Asgard comes to grace my doorstep?"

"How did you know who I am?" Loki inquired.

"Other than the extensive news coverage of you trashing New York with your alien army a few years ago?"

Strange replied dryly as they settled down into chairs facing each other over a low table. As much as the man was annoying in his demeanour, Loki couldn't help but admit the man had flair.

"I make it my business to know who and what is a threat to this world. You, Loki Odinson, are on that list." Strange leaned forward and stared at him intently. Loki felt a slight creep of apprehension crawl up his spine, but his poker face had been honed over many millennia of playing high stakes with Thor.

"What's to keep me from contacting Thor and telling him exactly where you are?"

"Good bluff." Loki murmured with a slight smirk. Strange lifted an eyebrow and settled back into his chair, curiosity peaked.

"How do you know it's a bluff?"

"I have yet to meet a mortal with the power to tap the dark magic that would be needed to reach across space and time." Loki replied without hesitation. "That isn't the point though."

"So what is the point?"

"I am here to give you a warning of what is to come. Have you heard of Thanos?"

"The Mad Titan?" Strange looked startled as he sat at attention, Cloak of Levitation fluttering in anxiety.

"Precisely." Loki nodded, taking a deep breath. "In this timeline he is currently seeking the Infinity Stones in an effort to reassemble the Infinity Gauntlet. As we speak his adoptive daughter, Gamora, is in possession of the Power Stone. We are lucky that she will have a change of heart and keep the stone away from Thanos, for now."

"How do you know this?" Strange tilted his head, eyes sharp and dark.

"I am from the future." Loki said baldly. "I am the one the Norns picked to ensure that the Universe survives until the Decimation can be brought to pass. After that, it is up to you to make sure that the Universe survives."

"Impossible."

"Even you know that nothing is impossible." Loki shook his head. "Or did you not listen to the lessons the Ancient One tried to teach you?"

"How do you know her?" Strange snapped defensively.

"We met on the Astral Plane the last time I was in New York. She knew what was coming, and she did her best to prepare you for the war that is coming."

For several long moments Strange stared at Loki, rubbing the beard on his chin in a contemplative manner. Loki remained patient. He already knew the answer, but he also knew that he could not interfere with the outcome more than he already had. This was his last time to step into the timeline. After this, everything would rest on the shoulders of Stephen Strange, Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers.

"Very well. Say you are right. What are your stipulations?" Strange wasn't one to beat about the bush apparently.

"No one is to know that I am here." Loki replied easily. "My brother will come to you for information, and bring me from the current timeline with him. He is is no way to know that I am here as well. If he does, then the future is doomed. The me from this timeline has a critical part to play, and it must come to pass."

"You talk as if you are a Seer as well as a magician, but you don't have the aura of a Blessed One."

"No, I'm not. However, I was raised by one, and she gave me the keys needed for the future. I am doing this with the blessings of her and the Norns." Loki replied standing, making the other man stand as well.

"So this visit was to warn me of the impending doom of Earth?"

"Not just Earth, but every planet in the Universe." Loki shook his head, waving his hand at the stone mounted in the necklace he wore. "Use the Time Stone to see for yourself."

Strange's eyes went blank, and Loki knew that he was time traveling via Astral Projection. What would have seemed like an eternity to the sorcerer was in reality less than a minute. When he came back to himself he cast a startled glance at Loki. Nodding Loki turned to walk away, but Strange's voice stopped him.

"All those futures, and there is only one in which we survive?" His voice shook. Loki didn't look back as he continued to walk away, tossing over his shoulder,

"That is why I am giving you a head start, Stephen Strange. Without you, the Light will fall to the Dark."


	19. Chapter 18 - Prep for Decimation, Part 2

**Chapter 18 - Preparing for the Decimation, Part 2**

It was only two hours later that Jane felt the ripple of Loki returning from New York. She watched him step through the portal of green and gold magic, dressed in his traveling clothes. Promptly though, he changed back into casual Asgardian attire of thick slacks and tunic shirt. Jane breathed a sigh of relief that he was home safe.

"How did it go?" She asked as he stepped up next to where she sat studying her star charts in preparation for the night's observations.

"Smoothly." Loki replied quietly. "He will do his part, but I have a feeling it will be no more, no less."

"At least he will do that." Jane slipped an arm around his waist, pulling him closer to her on the stool. She sent warmth and comfort to him in waves along their bond, soothing the ruffled feathers of her raven. "Maybe in the years between, he'll grow a heart."

"Perhaps." Loki brushed a kiss to her lips before looking at her charts. "Are we stargazing tonight?"

"Yes, the night is forecast to be clear and there will be a meteor shower as well." Jane smiled, excitement for their night building. "We may even get lucky and have a meteorite come down nearby."

Unfortunately, to Jane's disappointment, there were no meteorites that fell that night. It didn't diminish the beauty of the night. She loved sitting with Loki in the starlight, soaking up the knowledge that he poured into her. She learned so much those nights; about the stars, about him, about magic, about the woman she was now that her soul was bound to that of the Trickster. Even though they were closer than anyone could ever imagine, each night in the glimmering darkness brought them more in harmony. There was a fullness to her heart that gave her a peace she never knew she was looking for.

Early one morning two months later the sound of the TV being turned on woke Jane, drawing her downstairs. Before the large plasma on the far wall of the lab, Loki stood, hands clenched into fists, wearing his full Asgardian armor, including his helmet. The screen showed a large round spaceship hovering over New York, orientated like a wheel in the sky. A chill swept over Jane. It had begun; Thanos was beginning his attack. The Decimation was upon them.

Taking a deep breath to quell the sickness in her belly, Jane moved next to Loki, cradling one of his clenched fists in her own hands. Coldness radiated off him, his pale skin growing slowly bluer as the TV droned on. Together they watched the news coverage in silence, seeing the Avengers fighting aliens and defending innocent people. Oddly though, the Hulk was noticeably absent. Distantly, Jane wondered if Bruce managed to find a cure.

"How much time do we have until the Decimation?" Jane finally asked, voice quiet.

"Not long. I don't know the exact amount of time that passes between the arrival of the harbinger ship and the actual Snap." Loki sounded troubled. "The book Odin kept with Frigga's prophecy didn't give specifics."

"What did it say?" Jane, even though she was afraid, felt that she needed to know in order to prepare for what was to come. Inside her, she felt her magic stirring, a warm amber red glow, ready to do what needed to be done to protect themselves and the world around them.

"Thanos will get his hands on all six Stones. He will simply Snap his fingers, and half of all life existing will fade away like ashes in the wind." The voice coming from Loki was almost monotone, eyes unfocused, tone distant as the world began to react to seeing that New York, one again, was under attack.

"Do you know who survives?" Jane wondered at how much knowledge Frigga had left for her son.

"No. Only one person does, and that is Stephen Strange." Loki shook his head, the battle worn gold of his helmet reflecting the light from the TV in front of them. "That is why I had to go to him, to warn him. Everything is now in his hands and the hands of the Avengers."

"Do we wait here on Earth, or do we need to go off world?" Jane asked crossing her arms across herself, afraid that she would turn to dust at any moment. Loki looked down at her sadly and gathered her into his arms, pulling her as close as he could while wearing his armor.

"There is no place safe, not from what is coming." She felt him press a kiss on her forehead before his voice lightened.

"You and I need not worry. We will be safe."

"How can you be sure?" Jane whispered, looking up into the face of a man who lied for a living. Now that they were bound though, Loki was unable to lie to her, their bond going far beyond the reach of anything that had happened before.

"I'm not 100% sure, but I do have a theory." Loki lifted their joined hands and in them, their magic shimmered to life. Amber red for Jane, green gold with flecks of blue for Loki.

"You and I have both been touched by an Infinity Stone. We have both wielded their powers for extended periods of time. I kept the Space Stone with me for years while I ruled Asgard as Odin. You were possessed for the Reality Stone for weeks. Magic that powerful bleeds out, and seeps into the people and things closest to it. The closer the interaction, the stronger the bond to the stone."

"Basically we have an immunity to their powers?" Jane was floored. She knew that she had an echo of the power from the Reality Stone still inside her, but she never dreamed it would be one of the things to keep her safe.

"Yes, but there is more." Loki nodded, lifting their joined hands to kiss her knuckles. "Our Bond. It is unique and forged from something more ancient and powerful than the Infinity Stones. I believe that those two things combined will keep us safe from the Decimation."

"I guess we will just have to wait and see." Jane replied numbly. "I just hope the wait isn't too long."

For several weeks Jane and Loki kept up with the news, but there seemed to be very little information regarding the alien invasion. Had Earth become so numb to otherworldly encounters that the media just stopped reporting? Jane decided to hack the dark web to see if she could glean more information. As she was snooping around, a chat window popped up on her screen with the face of Pepper Pots looking back at her.

"Miss Potts?" Jane asked surprised, drawing Loki over to her with a wave of her hand. "What are you doing on the dark web?"

"I could ask you the same thing Dr. Foster." Tony Stark's right hand woman replied, her eyes shifting to take in Loki. "Hello Loki. Tony said that you might be with Jane."

"Did he now?"

"Yes, he relayed to me that Thor believes you to be dead, but that Stark satellites had picked up your energy signature in New Mexico. He also told me that no one was to know you are alive. Why is that?"

"Strange must have told him." Loki muttered before addressing Pepper. "In order for the timeline to remain in tact, it is imperative that no one knows I am alive until it is time for me to reveal myself to them."

Pepper nodded, seemingly perfectly fine with such an explanation. She then turned her focus to Jane.

"You need to stay in New Mexico Jane. Tony says that out of all the scientists in the world besides him and Bruce, you need to remain safe. Something about how your Einstein-Rosen technology could help end the war that is coming. Whatever you do, stay there until -"

The screen as well as the entire building went dark. Lightning flickered in the sky outside, pulling Loki and Jane to the windows to watch the world shift before their eyes. A wave of multicolored shadows rippled over the landscape, stripping away half of all the vegetation and disintegrating animals in its path. Even buildings didn't escape the damage. Everything that was destroyed shifted into fine ash and was blown away on the wind. It was over in a matter of minutes, and once the wave passed, the power came back on. Pepper was still in the chat window, but now she was looking away, her hand over her mouth, tears in her eyes.

"Pepper, are you ok?" Jane scrambled back to in front of her monitor. The other woman nodded, tears streaming down her face.

"I am, but all of my staff just disappeared before my eyes."

"Then it happened, Thanos Snapped his fingers. The Decimation is over." Loki said sadly, leaning over Jane's shoulder to speak to Pepper.

"What do you need from us, Miss Potts?"

Pepper sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Keep Jane safe. I will be in touch soon."

With that the line went dead, but in the background, the chaos was only beginning.


	20. Chapter 19 - The Years After the Snap

**Chapter 19 - The Years After the Snap & Endgame**

The world was no longer the same. The entire planet was mourning the loss of billions, and yet, there were no bodies to be buried. Nothing remained of the ones who had fallen to the Decimation. Name after name was read aloud at huge memorials, the one who survived clinging to each other in comfort. Loki knew Jane didn't come out unscathed. Erik and Darcy both fell to the Snap, as well as Nick Fury and Maria Hill. Even though Jane's interactions with the last two had been minimal, they were both instrumental in having her work given back to her after Thor and the Convergence.

Whole cities had been abandoned, leaving the world scattered with relics of lives having been lost. Jane and Loki were the only ones left in Puente Antiguo. Jane, knowing that her knowledge would be of help to the remaining Avengers, packed up her research and lab. Loki assisted her in teleporting everything to New York. Together they rented a brownstone a few blocks away from Avengers Tower. Loki kept a low profile while Jane worked to incorporate anything of her research that might be helpful in maintaining the peace on Earth as well as in the cosmos. It wasn't much, but she did work in conjunction to Bruce Banner every now and then.

Loki kept his ear to the ground when it came to news of Thanos. He actually knew where the Mad Titan had settled after his Decimation to save the Universe. It was a small planet only a few light years away, but with the technology that Stark had now, it was only a matter of a few hours to reach the planet. That is, whenever they found out. He kept this knowledge to himself, not even letting Jane know. His part to play was over, and it was time for the Avengers to play their role in restoring the natural order of things.

Slowly the planet began to heal, but the people struggled to find meaning. Everyone went about their lives in a mechanical fashion, but no one really lived anymore. It was almost like the world was plunged into the dark ages. There was no more laughter, there was no more joy. It was all anger and sadness. The atmosphere of the planet was so negative that even Loki could feel it pounding against his magical barriers. Several times over the years, he would teleport to the moon, just to get a sense of peace and clarity. With his magic, staying for prolonged periods of time in airless frozen deep space didn't bother him.

The only thing that managed to keep him sane while waiting for what Frigga had referred to as the Endgame was Jane. Together they forged their bond tighter and tighter. As they years passed, their awareness of each other deepened. Their magic was so interwoven that they could now speak mind to mind over great distances. Even when Loki went to the Moon, he could still hear Jane when she called to him.

"Loki!" Jane called to him one day. Loki was walking the sands outside of their old New Mexico dwelling when she called to him. Her mind voice was filled with excitement.

"Jane? What's wrong?"

"I think we have a way to defeat Thanos and bring everyone back." Her excitement fizzled along their bond. "Scott Lang just appeared outside of the Avengers compound upstate. He's been missing for five years, ever since the Snap. We all thought that he had died, but instead he was trapped in the Quantum Realm. He survived the Snap and now he's back."

"Time travel." Loki echoed at the same time she did before continuing. "It is possible. In Asgard, we called it Feldheim, the In-Between. When you or I use our magic to teleport, we actually travel through this realm. If a person is able to fully enter the realm and stay there, the rules of space and time don't exist. Anything and everything is possible in that reality."

"I thought you said that the Norns only granted you that ability."

"They did, at that time." Loki teleported to their brownstone, appearing in his library. "They are known to bend rules for their own devices. They are beyond and above all of us. Their whims shape our reality."

"So this is really possible?" Jane asked, shimmering into existence beside him, cast in an amber glow from the fading light of evening.

"Yes, but fraught with peril." Loki reached out and summoned a book on the Norns and the Feldheim. "This can give you more insight. However, you must not let anyone know where you got the knowledge. It is not yet time for me to reveal myself to the world."

It would be another year before the theory of time travel would be made into reality. Jane worked with Banner, Lang and Stark to build a more complex and stable Quantum Field generator that would be powerful enough to shrink people down in order for them to travel through the dimension to another time. In total, it had been just over five years since the Decimation. Loki let Jane work on the project, only with the promise that once the machine is ready to be tested and launched, that she was nowhere near it. He didn't want to test and see if their bond would survive that type of time travel. The space time warping that he had done was enough to last him a thousand lifetimes.

"According to Pepper, they are going to pluck the Stones from the timeline in order to create their own gauntlet to reverse the Decimation." Jane told Loki as they ate supper, the two women having grown closer in the years after the Snap. "Especially when they finally found Thanos a few years ago, he had used the power of the stones to unmake the stones."

"He would." Loki scoffed, even though he thought the strategy was brilliant. "Destroy the one thing that can undo your work, so that your goal is fulfilled."

"Pepper also said that Thor even beheaded him, even though it was too late to save anyone."

"I've checked in on my brother in secret. He has let that guilt get the better of him." Loki shook his head. "You would barely recognize him now. He's grown quite fat and lazy in his self pity and anger. He doubts that he is still the God of Thunder. I have never actually seen him this depressed before, and it worries me."

"Maybe this mission will help heal his hurt and then you can reveal yourself to him." Jane laid her hand on his arm gently. "After all, I know it has been hurting you to keep yourself hidden from him all these years."

"A reunion would be nice, but I don't know if he can ever forgive me for this last round of faking my death." Loki said bitterly.

"Yes, but you didn't orchestrate your own death or resurrection. That was the Norns, not you." Loki's other half reached out to cup his face lovingly. "He does know you, the old you. You will simply have to show him the man you are now."

She pressed a soft kiss to his lips before pulling back with a small smile.

"One thing at a time. Let the Avengers heal the wounds that Thanos has wrought, and then we can see about healing the wounds in your heart."

"You are wise beyond your years, my love." Loki sighed with a nod, thought popping into his head. "Are you sure you haven't been Touched with the gift of Foresight? Sometimes you sound just like Frigga."

Jane smiled at him, but shook her head.

"No, but I do have the hope, faith and love in both you and your brother that she had. She knew the both of you, better than you knew yourselves. She was your mother, and when we were together before she died, she told me many things about the two of you. It was her words that helped me realize that Thor wasn't the one for me. I simply didn't know that it was her other son that would be my anchor and guiding light."

The next morning, as the two of them ate breakfast, they both felt a ripple. It wasn't a physical ripple, but a magical one, rubbing against their senses and creating a feeling of static electricity. To Jane, it felt like a warm chill racing down her spine. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw reality shimmer, tinted red, and she knew that the timeline was changing. The remains of the Aether inside of her was fighting the change in the timeline, wanting to hold onto Jane with everything it had left. As soon as the sensation began, it passed. The world righted itself as Loki and Jane looked around in apprehension.

"The timeline?" Jane asked open endedly. Mentally she scanned her magical aura, pleased to see that it was still in tact and as strong as ever.

"Yes, the Avengers must have used your device to travel the timestream. To us, it will feel like nothing has really changed, but our magic recognizes magic and responds."

"Why does it seem like we are waiting around for things to change?" Jane had begun to chafe at not doing more to help repair the damage that had been done.

"Because we are, my lovely Jane." Loki replied partiently. "We have both done our parts to make sure that the mission taking place as we speak will be successful."

"I just hate being on the sidelines, not knowing what is going on." Jane huffed, reaching out to take a sip of her coffee.

"I know my love, but - "

Loki was cut off as a wave of rainbow colored lights swept over them, blinding their eyes and their magic. Everything felt like joy and summer, expectant and bright. Love glimmered and hope rejoiced. Jane managed to reach out and take Loki's hand, their combined magic shielding them from the power buffeting them. Chasing after all the emotions was desperation, the need to right a wrong.

"The aura suggests that it is your friend Banner who wields the Gauntlet." Loki murmured, eyes scanning the magic before them. Jane extended her senses, and she could feel joy filling the neighborhood outside. Life was coming back to the darkened planet, and it seemed that every life that had been extinguished was being restored.

"He's bringing everyone back." Jane could feel tears running down her face, but at the same time there was a chill in the back of her mind that she couldn't shake.

"I feel it too Jane." Loki said cautiously. "While Banner may be able to undo the actions of Thanos, the Universe will still seek something in return for the use of such power."

"Do you know what it is?"

"Unfortunately, I do not."


	21. Chapter 20 - Endgame & Revelations

**Chapter 20 - Endgame & Revelations**

The Universe and the Norns still required something from Loki, and it would go a long way to heal the scars of darkness inside him.

Not even 36 hours after Banner brought the Decimated back, a glowing, hissing portal opened in the living room of their brownstone. Jane gasped and moved to stand behind Loki, but the ancient man knew who had come to call. Stephen Strange stepped out of the portal, looking as if he hadn't aged a day since they had last spoken. It was then that Loki knew that the Sorcerer Supreme had been one of Thanos' victims.

"Loki Odinson, you are needed."

"For what purpose?" Loki hedged, having a feeling he knew what was about to be asked.

"There will be one final conflict to determine the outcome of all reality. Every soul who can fight is needed on the battlefield. Your magic is invaluable to this fight. Without you, our chances of winning go from slim to none."

"What do I have that no one else has?" Jane reached out and slipped her hand into his.

"You have two things, Liesmith." Dr. Strange spoke calmly, even as electricity skittered around his body. "First is your tie to the Space Stone. You and your magic are threaded with the power of the stone, much like your SoulBond has been altered by the Reality Stone."

"Jane is not going into battle, Strange." Loki felt his hackles rise, protective instincts taking over.

"No, but you can draw on her power temporarily. You know the spell."

Loki nodded, knowing the spell that would cause his beloved's magic to flow into him, for a time. It was an ancient magic, known by few and practiced by none. It wouldn't be something that Thanos would even think to be scanning for.

"Very well, sorcerer. You said two things."

"Out of all the people that Thanos has slain, you are the only one to have survived. This is crucial." The look in Strange's eyes changed, becoming nearly feral. Loki wondered what had happened to the man who had been gone for five years. No one knew if the people simply stopped experiencing things, or if they had been transported to another plane of existence.

"He does not know you are alive. We can use that lapse to buy precious seconds in order for the one future that I saw in which we win to come to pass."

Loki, speechless, looked to Jane, who nodded.

"Take my power, and make him pay for everything he has ever done."

"Time grows short." Strange warned. "He is on his way, passing into our Solar System even as we speak. Cast your spell Frost Giant, and fulfill your destiny."

Nodding Loki focused on Jane, his beautiful Jane. Her fire was a beautiful counter to his ice, the two of them in perfect harmony. Together their power was impressive, but with Loki having control of both, he would be nearly unstoppable. The spell that was required was wordless, more a direction of will and willingness than anything else. The magic giver had to be willing to release their magic to the seeker in order for the transfer to work. Swiftly, Loki bent his head to kiss Jane, activating the spell.

Energy, white hot burned through their Bond, pouring into him with astonishing ease. Loki's magical reserves went through the roof. He felt completely refreshed and ready for battle. Jane however, drooped in his arms, drained from the transfer. Gently he scooped her up and teleported to their bedroom. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. With a gentle kiss Loki spun a protective weave around her and returned to Strange.

"She will sleep until the battle is over." Loki told the cloaked man. Strange nodded and turned to step through the portal.

Immediately they were flung into battle, the landscape outside the Avengers compound reduced to rubble and charred by mage blasts. The Black Order and Thanos' foot soldiers were everywhere. Millenia of battle strategy came into play, and Loki began to move on autopilot. War was an old friend to him, and he settled into the dance of kill or be killed. He didn't know how long he fought, but somehow he had been moving closer and closer to the epicenter of the fighting, to where Thanos held court.

He watched as Marvel fought with him, her immense power from the raw power of the formerly Tesseract encased Space Stone fueling her. She shone like a star on the battlefield, able to easily hold her own against a fully powered Thanos. He was so evenly matched that he had to palm the Power Stone in his other hand in order for him to knock her away. Movement to the side caught Loki's eye. Stephen Strange held up his hand to Tony Stark, indicating that this was the one timeline where they could succeed. Loki's heart sank; Stark would have to sacrifice himself, and he knew it.

With surprising speed Stark grabbed the Gauntlet, trying to pull either it or the Stones from the Mad Titan. Now was the time for Loki to show himself. He knew that it would expose him to everyone, but it needed to be done. He was the distraction while Stark was the true Endgame.

"THANOS!" Loki bellowed, going full Jotun. The entire battle stopped, everyone seeming to freeze at the coldness in his voice. Using his magic Loki levitated himself high into the air before letting loose a rain of fire and ice into the face of the purple titan.

The man howled in pain, but the distraction worked. Stark was able to slip the stones from their moorings without Thanos noticing.

"You pest! How dare you thwart me. I killed you once, Son of Laufey, and I will gladly do it again! I am inevitable."

Thanos moved to snap his fingers, but nothing happened. Loki landed behind Iron Man, more man than iron now. Quickly he spun a red web of protection around the man, using Jane's Aether powers to repel anything that would attempt to stop Stark. Loki also channeled energy into Stark, slowing the progress of his life force being devoured by the Stones. Stark was full of resilience for a mortal. Normally no one could wield a single stone, let alone all six. Loki surmised that Stark's nanotechnology was also helping keep the power at bay. Even still, everyone knew that this was the last stand of Tony Stark and Iron Man.

"And … I … am … Iron Man."

With a snap, Tony served the final justice to the Mad Titan. The Black Order and foot soldiers faded into ash, the evil of Thanos being undone into nothingness. The heroes of the Universe watch as Thanos stumbled to sit on a pile of debris, alone. Before them was the once mighty Thanos, feared across the Universe. However, in the end, he was swept away in the same manner as his horde. It began at his feet, progressing up his body as he turned to ash. The last thing to go was his face, sorrow and defeat in his eyes.

With a wave Loki removes the protective spell from Stark, watching as Peter Parker and Pepper Potts-Stark rushes to Tony's side. Stepping back in reverence, it is Loki who kneels first. He knew that there would be many to question his role in all of this, but that time was not now. Now, it was time to honor the ferocity and courage of a simple man. A man cursed with glorious purpose. A purpose to save all of humanity and reality with the giving of his own life.

When the last breath left the body of Tony Stark, Thor crashed to his knees and let out a wounded battle cry, Stormbreaker falling limply to the ground. Steve Rogers looked on with tears streaming down his cheeks, Mjolnir and his broken shield falling to the dirt at his feet. In a wave, every hero on the battlefield, even those who never knew Stark, knelt in reverence to the passing of the bravest man they knew.

After an indeterminable silence broken only by sobs, a voice floated through the dusty air.

"Loki?"


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Loki?"

Standing but keeping his eyes downcast, Loki listed as Thor approached him. Distantly he could hear Captain America and War Machine divvy up the responsibilities of cleanup. Rogers would stay on the battlefield to help the wounded and catalogue the dead. Rhodes, with Pepper and Peter would take Tony back to Avengers Tower and prepare him for burial.

Suddenly Loki was swept up in a crushing hug, feeling the arms of his brother hold him close. Thor's body shook with sobs, and something deep inside Loki broke, needing to comfort the man before him. Hesitantly Loki brought his arms up to embrace Thor, realizing that his skin was still blue. Loki knew that for everyday life, it would be easier for him to appear Asgardian, but for now he would let the world see his true self.

"How?" Thor asked, pushing himself back to look Loki over from head to toe. "How are you still alive and why are you blue?"

"I will answer all your questions in time brother, but right now, we need to help the others." Loki replied gently, magic gathering in his hands. Still full to the brim with Jane's powers, Loki spun healing weaves across the battlefield, refreshing and healing the ones assisting in the clean up. Including his brother. Thor closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I have missed that." Loki would spin similar weaves in the past, especially when Thor would get them and the Warriors Three into trouble.

"Let us help and then we will talk." Together the brothers joined the others, lending their strength and magic to help clear away the scene of Earth's mightiest battle.

The day was growing late when Loki was able to finally look for his brother. Thor was working beside Steve Rogers, but Loki could tell that they were both about ready to drop. Even Loki was becoming worn, Jane's magic having worn off hours ago. There were things that needed to be seen to before the two brothers could have a proper reunion. Using a speaking spell Loki called to the God of Thunder,

"The day grows late brother. We both need to rest. Our reunion can wait a few more days."

"Very well Loki, but we will speak soon." Thor sighed with a nod. In a blink Loki was gone, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed next to Jane. Using his magic, Loki removed the dirt and grime from battle before slipping into bed beside his heart, skin finally returning back to tan as he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Jane woke up to the cool warmth of Loki snuggled up to her back, long legs tangled in her own. As they slept, their hands hand found each other, their fingers laced together. Sleep often found them this way, the two of them drawn together even in slumber. Jane was thankful for the pull of her magic having rendered her unconscious, otherwise she would have been fraught with worry. Outside the fun filtered through the trees, giving the room a soft glow. It was a new day, and a new dawn for all of the Universe. Thanos had been destroyed, and soon Jane would be able to confirm her suspicions about why she had been feeling off kilter the last few days. She hadn't told Loki since it was nothing major, but part of her suspected what was happening.

Behind her Loki stirred, burying his face in her neck. Something inside her knew that the war was over, and now they could truly begin their life together. The entire future was now a blank slate, open to be anything that they created it to be. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. They laid there a few moments more, enjoying the peaceful quiet until pounding on their front door made Jane jump.

"Thor." Loki groaned, flopping onto his back. "Of all the mornings for you to be an early riser."

"I take it that he saw you yesterday?" Jane rolled over to press a quick kiss to his lips.

"Hell, the whole planet probably saw me yesterday." Loki sighed as he pushed himself out of bed and magically dressed himself in his customary black slacks and emerald dress shirt. Jane sighed, happy to watch him spin his magic.

"I will get ready and meet you downstairs." Jane slipped out of bed as well. "You and Thor need to talk before we throw the monkey wrench of us into the mix."

"Very well." The pounding downstairs continued as Loki pulled Jane close and kissed her deeply. As always, she melted into his embrace, feeling safe and at home in his arms. "I love you Jane Foster."

"I love you Loki. Don't ever doubt that."

Loki transported to the front door, surprised to see it still standing. Apparently, even though he was attempting to pound down the door, Thor was restrained enough to not simply bash it in. Opening the door he was greeted with a freshly washed and groomed Thor. His long hair was pulled back and his beard had been rebraided. The fake eye in place of the one Hela took was nearly identical in color to the other. Thor looked healthy and whole, but Loki knew better. There were scars that his brother now carried that would never fully heal.

"Good morn Thor." Loki greeted his brother, holding the door open for him to enter the brownstone.

"Good morn Loki." Thor looked around as Loki led him to the library, feeling that the warm leather furniture of the room would suit the tone of the conversation better than the bright living room. Loki conjured bread and ale for the two of them, knowing Jane would prefer to make her own breakfast the mortal way.

"It's an impressive collection you have here brother. Many of these titles I recognize from your personal library on Asgard."

"I have had means to replicate the tomes that have been lost to Ragnarok." Loki replied, settling into his favorite wide wingback chair. "Yet, I sense that you did not come here to exchange pleasantries."

"No, I did not." Thor sat down, across the long low table between the chair Loki resided in and the settee. Thor did lean forward though and snag a poppyseed roll and a goblet of ale.

"Very well. The tale I'm going to tell you is long and folds back on itself a number of times." Loki replied.

"Just answer me one question; did Thanos kill you, or was that a ruse?"

"Thanos did indeed kill me." Loki sighed, remembering the terror that he felt when he knew he was going to die. "I was dead. Somehow though, the next moment I woke up inserted into the timeline years in the past. I watched as you escorted me to Asgard after I had opened the portal for the Chitauri."

"Impossible." Thor scoffed, a glimmer of his old self coming through.

"You of all people should know that nothing is impossible." Loki countered. "Did you not just travel through space and time yourself in order to retrieve the Reality Stone?"

"True." The golden haired brother said slowly. "How did you manage it without the Time Stone though?"

"The Norns." Loki shrugged, having long since gotten over the oddness of having the celestial beings pluck him from the time stream and place him somewhere else. "They had decreed long ago that I wasn't meant to die by Thanos' hand. I had a higher purpose than that."

"What exactly would that be?" Thor sounded suspicious, and Loki couldn't fault him for that. Loki sensed Jane coming down the stairs from behind Thor, and he braced himself.

"One was to help ensure that the future Strange saw played out as it needed to." Loki made sure to not look away from Thor when Jane silently slipped into the room, not wanting to alert his brother to her presence.

"You distracted Thanos when Stark moved to get the Stones. How did you know that you would need to be there? You've been in hiding all this time." Thor's frown deepened.

"Strange summoned me. Only he and one other person knew I had survived."

"Who else knew you were alive?" Time to come clean about everything.

"I did." Jane spoke up, moving around Thor to stand next to Loki. She wore dark blue jeans and a red sweater the color of her magical aura. He could feel the tension radiating off of her.

"Jane?"


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Jane felt her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear Thor and Loki speaking as she neared the library, voices deep and quiet. It was a meeting that was a long time in the making, and one Jane hoped would heal any scars between them. She would always choose Loki, but there was also a tender spot in her heart for Thor. She knew Loki sensed she had entered the room even though he didn't glance her way.

"You distracted Thanos when Stark moved to get the Stones. How did you know that you would need to be there? You've been in hiding all this time." Thor sounded troubled.

"Strange summoned me. Only he and one other person knew I had survived." Loki, ever the poker player, kept a calm facade. Only Jane could tell that he was as tense as she was, for the fine lines around his eyes were a little deeper, and his shoulders were a little more rigid than normal.

"Who else knew you were alive?" Loki sighed and closed his eyes, hands clenched into fists.

Jane knew that he still had some doubts about their Bond, that somehow she would still want the golden brother. He was wrong. She craved starlight and magic and emerald eyes as deep as the universe itself. Jane wanted dark silky hair and hands that could drive her wild. She wanted a scholar and a warrior. She wanted Loki, pure and simple.

"I did." Jane spoke up. Moving calmly and steadily, she skirted around the settee to stand next to the man she loved. For the moment, they refrained from showing any affection in front of Thor.

"Jane?"

"Hello Thor." Jane replied, no really sure as to what else there was to say.

"How did you know Loki was alive? How long have you known?" Thor sounded shocked and hurt, his blue eyes turning a stormy grey. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Thor, Loki came to me before the Aether took me. Even though he wiped my memory at that time, he placed in me some of his magic to help me survive the possession. I am alive because of him." Jane explained in a roundabout way.

"After the Dark World, he came to me again, but this time it was to stay."

"Is he the reason you decided that you didn't want to be with me?" The hurt in Thor's voice made her cringe, but she needed to tell the truth.

"No, not directly." Jane replied, twisting the silver band on her right ring finger, It was plain silver, nothing fancy, but it had been the first gift Loki had given Jane. She continued speaking before Thor could interrupt.

"I was still healing from the Aether, and I needed to focus on myself. I needed you to be free to protect the Universe, and I needed to come to terms with who I was. I was no longer just Jane Foster. I simply needed the time and space to figure it out."

"Yet Loki was the one you turned to instead of me?" The venom in Thor's voice was scalding.

"Believe me brother, this was something that was destined to happen, no matter what." Loki growled back. Jane rested a hand on his shoulder, letting him know that she stood by his side always. She felt him lean into her touch, and a modicum of tension eased from his body.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"How much of our childhood stories do you remember?" Loki asked instead. "Specifically the ones about the SoulBond?"

"Simply that they are romantic tales to make girls swoon." Wow, condescending much? Jane had to bite back the retort she wanted to make. Every now and then Thor sounded like the rough brute who had landed in the desert all those years ago.

"The bond is quite real, brother." Loki reached up and took Jane's hand into his own, letting their magical auras flare around their joined hands. "It has bound Jane and I together since the dawn of time."

For long moments Thor said nothing, frowning at the two of them. Loki continued to hold Jane's hand, thumb soothing her knuckles. It was a familiar gesture, and one that Jane was sure Loki was doing on purpose. Jane knew that what they were doing and who they were stung at Thor, but they are who they were meant to be.

"If it hadn't been for the Bond, and our connections to the Stones, we would have been wiped out in the Decimation. We were spared, and with Jane's help, you and the Avengers were able to correct the evil that Thanos had wrought."

Silence stretched between the three for many minutes, the only sound the ticking of the clock and the rumble of the traffic outside. Jane would normally chafe at silence, but now, the silence was a friend. She knew Thor had a temper, but she also knew that Loki was truly more powerful than his brother. Hell, she might even be more powerful than her former crush. Thor's fists unclenched and the tension drained from his body.

"So, the Universe saw that the two of you are parts of the same whole." Thor said wearily. "Then where does that leave me in this equation?"

"As a brother and a best friend." Jane replied before Loki could. With her left hand still in Loki's, Jane moved to reach out her right hand to Thor. Hesitantly he reached out, his large hand dwarfing her own. The three of them were bound together with so many ties that they knew there would be no way to tear them apart, even with rough emotions and hurt feelings.

"We are family. The three of us, right here." Jane made sure to look both men in the eye. "Asgard itself may be gone, but it's people aren't. Even the two crown princes are still alive to carry through the royal line. Right now things may be rough between us, but I know that Asgardians and Frost Giants are made of sterner stuff. However, Midgardians, with our life spans, have more flexibility. Together, Earth with give birth to a new generation of your people. In order for that to happen, we need to remain strong together."

The two brothers looked at each other before releasing Jane's hands. Light and dark came together in a hug of genuine affection, and Jane knew that the future would be brighter because of it.


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Loki sat in his library two days later, looking over paperwork for his newest project. Right now the remaining Asgardians were living in Norway, but the conditions were less than ideal. The people were used to a certain standard of living, and Midgard had no means of offering it to them. Loki decided that he would set about creating a new homeland for his people. A New Asgard. It would be an island in the Atlantic Ocean, in a location that could replicate the climate of Asgard. While it would be their homeland and base on Midgard, he and Thor also decided to encourage any Asgardian who wanted to live among the Midgardians, that they could. New Asgard would always welcome them with open arms, but it wasn't mandatory to live there.

Many of the older generations decided they would move to the new landmass once it was raised from the ocean floor. They missed their ancestral home, and longed to bring back their ways of life. The younger generations decided that they would live in the world for a time, and then decide if they wanted to join their kinsmen. Loki thought that is was the best for them all, since the younger generations would be the ones that would need to grow and adapt in more ways. Even Jane agreed. The people needed to know that Midgard was a place of beauty and magic, but different kinds than what they were used to.

As he worked, Loki could sense that there was a third presence in the house. It wasn't a menacing presence, but it did raise his hackles. Why would there be another magical aura in his home? Thor's signature usually faded shortly after his departure, and Strange hasn't been back since before the Endgame battle. Stealthily he sent our feelers, trying to pinpoint the source of the disturbance he was feeling. It was light, like the tiniest little snowflake kissing your cheek during the first snowfall of the season.

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. What he felt was the magical aura of his child. Jane was pregnant! Loki pushed back his chair so fast that he stumbled, his feet tangling in the legs. With a chuckle at himself Loki righted the chair and went in search for his other half. He sensed she was in their bedroom, and wondered if she was taking a Midgardian pregnancy test. Even after several years of being no longer just human, Jane still thought and acted as a human. With that thought, Loki took a detour to a magically sealed cabinet in his library.

Inside were the more rare and magical specimens that had gathered throughout his lifetime, and as his fingers closed around a spherical object, Loki knew that there would be many things to do once New Asgard was established. Several varieties of plants that Asgardians used in medicine and daily life could only have been found in the Realm Eternal. Loki had spirited seeds and saplings away, holding them in storage, but even he wasn't sure how well they would fare in the hard Midgardian soil.

After resealing the cabinet Loki made his way to where Jane was, stomach tightened into knots of excitement and anticipation. The words Jane had spoken were true; they were going to birth a new generation of Asgardians. They would be mixed race, but then, there were very few purebred Asgardians left alive. Softly Loki slipped into the large ensuite bathroom that they shared, watching as Jane stood in front of the skink, rocking side to side. Her hands were cradling her still flat belly as she waited for the pregnancy test to give its result. Unable to keep from smiling Loki joined his little family, arms sliding around Jane and their baby protectively.

"Why do you wait for a mortal test to tell you what we both already know?" He murmured into her ear, noticing that even Jane's scent had changed. It was deeper and softer than before.

"Habit." Jane shrugged her shoulders. "Even though I'm not fully mortal anymore, old habits are hard to break."

The timer on her phone pinged, and on cue the word PREGNANT appeared in the window, blue against a gray background. Loki felt Jane sag into him, hearing her choke back an excited sob. Even to Loki, seeing the confirmation on the stick impacted him more than he cared to admit. He was going to be a father. He only prayed that he would be a better father than Odin had been to him. Then again, anyone could be a better father than Odin.

"We're pregnant." Jane whispered in awe.

"Yes we are my love." Loki kissed her neck before holding his hand out in front of her. Between them and the mirror, a pure golden apple shimmered into his palm. He saw and felt Jane gasp and go very still. If his hunch was right, she knew what was in his hand.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Indeed."

"I thought it was destroyed when Surtur enacted Ragnarok." Jane reached out and stoked a finger down the apple, watching her magic respond to the purely magical fruit. Warm amber caressed the apple, making the sparkling fruit glitter even more.

"I was able to traverse to Asgard before it was destroyed and collected many things. Plants, books, technology, medicine. I have more than enough to recreate Asgard here on Midgard." Loki smiled at her as she reached out to take the apple into her own hands.

"So this is a life giving Idunn Apple?" Jane brought the apple up to her nose and inhaled the honeysuckle like scent. "If I eat it, our baby and I will be granted long life?"

"Yes, your lifespan will stretch to match mine even more than it already has been due to our Bond." He watched Jane turn the apple over and over in her hands, examining it from every angle. So analytical.

"Do I just eat it?"

"Yes." Loki replied with a smile at her in the mirror. "As you eat it, the magic will change you into an Aesir, and Immortal."

Jane cocked an eyebrow, but ate the apple anyways as Loki continued,

"Immortal and Eternal often get used interchangeably, and usually wrongly. Immortals can die, whether by old age or violence. Eternals can't die, and it is extremely difficult to become one. You and I, as well as this child and any others that we will have, will be Immortal. Extremely good health and very long life, but we will eventually fade back into the stardust we are made of."

"You would think that the apple would be very sweet, but it has a bit of a bitter aftertaste. Almost like copper." Jane replied.

"It is a symbol that while long life can be a great adventure full of good times, that there will also be difficult times that we must endure. Idunn was very specific in how her gift was to be given. Of complete free will and with open honesty."

"You speak of her as if she were a living being." Jane studied the now fleshless apple core. Inside you could see several deep gold seeds resting, ready to be planted and nurtured into a new Tree.

"Idunn, the First Idunn was." Loki took the core from Jane and spirited it away back into his cabinet before leading Jane to their bed, waving his hand and pulling the covers back. Together they dissolved their clothing and snuggled down into the bed.

"She was the Goddess that gave birth to Asgard and it's people. She was the one who planted the Golden Apple tree that was in the center of Asgard, giving it the ability to grant health and long life. The tree was named after her."

Jane settled down next to him, her skin warm and glowing after eating the apple. The magic was working, changing her into Aesir. It was also changing their child, who even now was being knit together by the magic of life itself. Sleepily Jane kissed his chest and laid her head over his heart.

"I love listening to you tell me about Asgard and your past. Your voice is so soothing and warm." Jane murmured, already drifting off to sleep. Loki kissed her head and settled down as well. The world could wait, this was their time.

"I love you Jane Friggason."

"I love you Loki Friggason."  
**  
**In the end, it only took Loki and Jane, with the help of Thor and the rest of the Asgardians, just over two years to grow and enrich New Asgard into an island haven for all. The hardest part had been gathering the magical reserves needed to slowly grow the landmass from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The process was slow and time consuming, otherwise the aftershocks of a new land mass would flood the coasts of the world and upend the tectonic balance of the planet.

As the world watched the alien refugees create a home of their own, governments sought to ensure that Loki was not planning to take over again. Peace treaties and trade deals were being ironed out by Thor and Valkyrie on behalf of Loki, the Prince and Warrior having decided that their common interests were enough to build a relationship on. There was also the backing of several Avengers as well as other well known heroes of the Battle of Thanos. It seemed that every person that had been present at the defeat of Thanos were heroes.

Jane, after arriving on New Asgard, went into labor. Apparently Aesir and Frost Giants had longer gestation periods than humans. That meant that Jane was pregnant for 26 months! Luckily, their little princess was a well behaved child, and didn't make Jane sick very often after she passed the first 4 months. Erika Lyra Friggason was the first child born on New Asgard, but she was far from the last. Within weeks of Erika having been born, dozens of couples were becoming pregnant or were deciding to marry and begin their own.

It brought a smile to Jane's face when Thor held his niece for the first time. It was like watching a big burly teddy bear cuddle a fragile glass flower.

"Hello there little princess." The big man cooed, his consort standing at his elbow, rolling her eyes goofily. "Uncle Thor and Aunt Valkyrie are so glad you are finally here."

"What did you name her?" The dark skinned woman asked.

"Erika Lyra Friggason." Jane smiled as Thor's head popped up, recognizing the name.

"You named her after Erik?"

"We thought it was fitting." Loki shrugged, but Jane knew that he was still sad about his part in driving the brilliant scientist mad.

"She'll be just as brilliant as him." Thor smiled. "Mother would have been honored to have her Granddaughter share her middle name."

Time passed and the world changed. Together Loki and Jane explored the stars, raising daughter to love knowledge and adventure just as much as they did. Nothing was impossible for them. After all, what could stand up against the strongest Bond in existence?


End file.
